Chemistry Life Hacks.
McGuyver Meets Mendeleev
in these everyday, chemistry inspired tricks
to make your life a little easier, with all
the evidence you need to back it up.
Now let's get started.
ONE: Bob For Eggs
So what's for breakfast?
Eggs!!! That's right it's omelet time.
The only problem is you can't remember
the last time you actually cooked
for yourself and your carton of eggs
has been tucked away in the back of
your fridge, for who knows how long.
Last thing you want to do stink up
the place cracking open a rotten egg.
So here's what you do.
Fill a large glass container with
water and drop in your eggs.
If they're good to go they’ll stay
at the bottom and if they've gone
bad the float right to the top.
Eggshells are actually very porous
to allow a little breathing room
for developing chicks.
These pores also act as an entrance
to bacteria, which cause the egg to
begin cave in from the inside.
This in turn produces a particularly
stinky gas: hydrogen sulfide.
The build up with this gas inside
the egg over time gives it its blank
queue that you should probably go to
the store and buy some fresh ones.
TWO: Don’t Cry For Onions
You know the deal.
The second your knife cuts through the
onion, the water work starts flowing.
Nothing seems to be able to stop it,
but we've got a trick for you
that will keep your eyes dry.
First a little bit about the chain
of events that brings the fire
to your eyes in the first place.
Onions contain compounds called amino acid sulfoxides.
Every knife stroke into an onion pops
open cells releasing these amino acid
sulfoxides and other enzymes to produce
a compound called sulfenic acid.
The sulfenic acid in the onion enzymes then
react foreign SYN-propanethial-S-oxide.
This is a compound that sends a fiery message
into the nerve center of your eyes, which
then calls on your body's Fire Department
washed the irritant away with tears.
Now you can’t stop this process completely,
but keep this in mind.
Refrigerate your onions before cutting them.
The cold can call can reduce a tendency
of the onions to release those volatile
compounds that start the waterworks.
THREE: Thread the Needle
You're running late for date,
you put on your favorite lucky shirt,
when you realize you accidentally
popped the top button off.
With the anxiety building and the clock ticking,
you try to sew it back on, but
you're shaky hands can’t mange to thread the needle.
When all the forces of the universe
seem to be working against you,
here's a quick tip to get you back on track.
Take the freight end of your thread
and dip it into some clear nail polish.
When the polish dries, you’ll have
a perfectly pointed thread that will
effortlessly slip itself into position.
Nail polishes is a lacquer that is
typically made of nitrocellulose
dissolved in a solvent, usually
the butyl acetate or ethyl acetate.
When that solvent evaporates the
nitrocellulose forms a film over
whatever surface it's on.
Some nail polishes also include resin
such as isocyanate from aldehyde to give
the polish a little extra body and also
plasticizers such as camphor to give it
a little more flexibility.
That comes in handy when the threading
a needle get rid the frayed edges the
view thread to get ready here frayed
nerves and enjoy that date.
FOUR: Go For the Green
You're trying to impress your guests
at an upcoming dinner party, but you
can't seem to get your veggies right.
Every time you cook green veggies,
they turn into a nasty mush green.
Well here's a quick tip to stop
your dish from turning into
a frankenstein veggie platter.
First of all, it's important to know where the green comes from.
Chlorophyll A and B. Chlorophyll A is
responsible for the bright blue green
in some veggies, whereas chlorophyll B
is responsible for the yellow green.
At the center these two molecules
is a magnesium atom,
which keeps the veggies a vibrant green.
When they’re heated, the vegetable cells
are broken-down and release acid,
which is otherwise kept separate
from living cells housed in Chlorophyll.
The acid will quickly replace the magnesium
with hydrogen, turning your veggies
from vibrant to slug green.
So here's a golden rule to keep a vibrant veggie.
Keep you cook time to 7 minutes or less.
By limiting the cook time, you’ll limit the
amount of cell damage and preserve the color.
We’ll folks, thanks for watching the
second installment of Chemistry Life Hacks.
If you have any hacks of your own,
send them over will try to include them
in a future videos. In the meantime,
hit that subscribe button
and we’ll see you again soon.