Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
1. This ordinary aluminum can is concealing a devious secret – it is covered with a protective layer inside! When we remove its paint coating, we expose the aluminum, which easily reacts with a drain cleaner that contains an alkaline component. There is a second material inside the can – a layer of plastic that keeps the drink itself from interacting with the aluminum.
2.Alloys are materials which are a combination of metals and are used for their unique properties in various fields of science and technology. However, these properties aren’t always beneficial. Take, for instance, an alloy of gallium and aluminum. This alloy is very fragile and can easily be broken with your hands or under other pressure.
3.Gelatin’s structural features allow it to absorb and retain water. Water molecules are relatively small and can seep into the intermolecular spaces in the gelatin. Once in the gelatin, they remain there due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.
4.Mentos have a rough surface, which aids the formation of a large amount of carbon dioxide gas from the Coca-Cola on its surface. Food additives in the Cola and Mentos contribute to the formation of a large quantity of foam.
5.The main ingredients of classic Cola are sugar and water. As the water evaporates, the mixture thickens and forms a black mass resembling tar, which mainly consists of caramelized sugar.
Diet Coke contains sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar. These substitutes are much sweeter than sugar – even being added in tiny amounts, they make the drink every bit as sweet as the classic version.
1. This ordinary aluminum can is concealing a devious secret – it is covered with a protective layer inside! When we remove its paint coating, we expose the aluminum, which easily reacts with a drain cleaner that contains an alkaline component. There is a second material inside the can – a layer of plastic that keeps the drink itself from interacting with the aluminum.
2.Alloys are materials which are a combination of metals and are used for their unique properties in various fields of science and technology. However, these properties aren’t always beneficial. Take, for instance, an alloy of gallium and aluminum. This alloy is very fragile and can easily be broken with your hands or under other pressure.
3.Gelatin’s structural features allow it to absorb and retain water. Water molecules are relatively small and can seep into the intermolecular spaces in the gelatin. Once in the gelatin, they remain there due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.
4.Mentos have a rough surface, which aids the formation of a large amount of carbon dioxide gas from the Coca-Cola on its surface. Food additives in the Cola and Mentos contribute to the formation of a large quantity of foam.
5.The main ingredients of classic Cola are sugar and water. As the water evaporates, the mixture thickens and forms a black mass resembling tar, which mainly consists of caramelized sugar.
Diet Coke contains sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar. These substitutes are much sweeter than sugar – even being added in tiny amounts, they make the drink every bit as sweet as the classic version.










![Chemical clock
Chemists are so punctual – they’ve even designed a chemical clock!
Hydrogen peroxide is a very active compound and can be both an oxidizer and a reducing agent. In this process, it reduces iodic acid to form molecular iodine and a so-called triiodide complex. This process can be simplified to the following chemical reactions:
HIO₃ + 3H₂O₂ → HI + 3O₂↑ + 3H₂O
5HI + HIO₃ → 3I₂ + 3H₂O
HI + I₂ → H[I₃]
Since oxygen is formed during the first reaction, we can observe the emergence of the gas. The iodine and triiodide complex turn the solution amber. But the solution immediately turns blue, since the starch molecules, which are very long and look like spirals, trap iodine molecules like a fishnet, forming a deep blue iodine-starch complex. Under the action of malonic acid, this complex is destroyed, since it reduces iodine molecules, while the solution itself becomes colorless:
C₃H₄O₄ + I₂ → C₃H₃O₄I + HI
The process repeats every few seconds, and the reaction period depends on the concentrations of the initial solutions. What is this if not a chemical clock?
Fun and safe experiments await you in the MEL Chemistry subscription!
Attention! All experiments are performed by professionals. Do not attempt. Chemical clock](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZhBNZV15uy0/mqdefault.jpg)