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| Preface | |
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| Conventions | |
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| Connections to Atomic Properties | |
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| Why Do Iodine and Barium Enhance CAT Scans? | |
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| Why Does a Kitchen Gas Burner Glow Yellow When a Pot of Boiling Water Overflows? | |
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| Connections to Gases | |
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| What Causes an Egg to Crack if It's Boiled Too Rapidly? | |
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| When a Flambe Is Prepared, Why Is the Liqueur Heated Prior to Lighting the Flame? | |
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| How Do Correction Fluids like Liquid Paper and White-Out Work? | |
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| Why Do Cosmetic Cold Creams Feel Cool When Applied to the Skin? | |
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| Connections to Solutions | |
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| Why Do Carbonated Drinks Go Flat as They Warm? | |
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| Why Do Crystals Form in Wine over Time? | |
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| What Makes a Lava Lamp Work? | |
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| How Is the Toxicity of Barium Sulfate Controlled for X-Rays? | |
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| Why Is Milk of Magnesia an Antacid? | |
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| Why Are Ice Cubes Cloudy on the Inside? | |
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| Why Are Metal or Glass Bowls Best for Whipping Egg Whites? | |
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| How Do Fog Machines Create the Artificial Fog or Smoke Used in Theatrical Productions? | |
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| Why Are Opals and Pearls Iridescent? | |
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| Connections to Solids | |
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| Why Does Morton Salt Claim "When It Rains It Pours"? | |
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| What Are "Desiccants" and Why Are They in Packaged Products? | |
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| Why Is the Hope Diamond Blue? | |
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| Connections to Chemical Reaction Types | |
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| Why Is There Abundant White Smoke from the Space Shuttle Booster Rockets on Lift-Off? | |
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| Why Do Homemade Copper Cleaners Use Vinegar? | |
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| Why Is "Fighting" Magnesium Fires with Water or CO[subscript 2] Dangerous? | |
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| Why Is Hydrogen Peroxide Kept in Dark Plastic Bottles? | |
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| Why Does a Flashbulb Develop a White Coating after a Flash? | |
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| Why Did Dorothy Have to Oil the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz? | |
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| What Puts the "Blue" in "Blue Jeans"? | |
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| How Is Lime Used to Mitigate the Acid Rain Problem? | |
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| Why Are Bombardier Beetles Known as "Fire-Breathing Dragons"? | |
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| Why Do Seashells Vary in Color? | |
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| Why Is Vinegar Recommended for Cleaning Automatic Coffee Makers and Steam Irons? | |
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| Why Does Soap Scum Form? Why Are Phosphates in Detergents? | |
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| Why Do Old Paintings Discolor? | |
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| How Do Hair Coloring Products "Remove" Gray in Hair? | |
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| What Is the Source of Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs (and Ham)? | |
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| How Does Washing Soda Soften Hard Water? | |
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| Why Does Baking Soda Extinguish a Fire? | |
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| What Is the Origin of the Expression "in the Limelight"? | |
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| What Causes Puff Pastry to Expand? | |
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| Why Does Chlorine in Swimming Pools Work Best at Night? | |
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| Connections to Acids and Bases | |
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| What Does pH Stand For? | |
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| Why Does Disappearing Ink Disappear? | |
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| How Are Light Bulbs Frosted? | |
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| Connections to Intermolecular Forces | |
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| Why Are General Anesthetics Administered as Gases? | |
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| Why Won't Water Relieve the Burning Sensation of Chili Peppers? | |
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| Why Are Bubbles in a Carbonated Drink Spherical? | |
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| How Do Furniture Polishes Repel Dust? | |
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| How Do Windshield Coatings Improve Visibility in a Rainstorm? | |
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| How Is a Fabric Made Water-Repellent or Waterproof? | |
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| How Does a Bullet-Proof Vest Work? How Is It Made? | |
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| Why Is Cotton so Absorbent and Why Does It Dry So Slowly? | |
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| What Makes a No-Tears Shampoo? | |
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| How Does Milk Froth for Cappuccino Coffee? | |
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| Why Is Sickle Cell Anemia a "Molecular Disease"? | |
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| Connections to Phases and Phase Transitions | |
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| What Do Meteorologists Use to "Seed" Clouds? | |
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| Why Do Citrus Growers Spray Their Trees with Water to Protect Them from a Freeze? | |
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| What Is the Dark Spot Left on the Inside of a Light Bulb When it Burns Out? | |
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| What are the Red or Silver Liquids in Thermometers? | |
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| What Nineteenth-Century "Disease" Destroyed Cathedral Organ Pipes? | |
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| Connections to Equilibria | |
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| What Causes the Fizz When an Antacid Is Added to Water? | |
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| What Is an Antidote for Cyanide Poisoning? | |
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| Why Is EDTA Added to Salad Dressings? | |
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| Why Do Hydrangeas Vary in Color When Grown in Dry versus Wet Regions? | |
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| Why Are Floor Waxes Removable with Ammonia Cleansers? | |
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| How Do Drano and Liquid-Plumr Unclog Drains? | |
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| Connections to Thermodynamics | |
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| Why Do CAT Scans Often Cause a "Warm Flush" Sensation? | |
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| What Provides the Insulating Qualities in Double- and Triple-Pane Windows? | |
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| How Does a Snow-Making Machine Work? | |
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| Why Does a Plaster Cast Warm as the Cast Hardens? | |
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| What Causes an Instant Ice-Pack to Cool? | |
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| Connections to Kinetics | |
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| Why Do Some Batteries Last Longer When Stored in a Refrigerator? | |
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| Connections to Light | |
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| Why Do Lightsticks Glow? | |
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| Why Is an Astronaut's Visor So Reflective? | |
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| Why Is the Aurora Borealis So Colorful? | |
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| What Causes the Pearlescent Appearance of Some Paints? | |
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| Why Is It Incorrect to Call U.S. Bills "Paper Currency"? | |
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| What Is the Purpose of the Thread That Runs Vertically through the Clear Field on the Face Side of U.S. Currency? | |
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| Why Do U.S. Bills Shift in Color When Viewed from Different Angles? | |
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| What Is an Optical Brightener? | |
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| What Is the Difference between a Sunscreen and a Sunblock? | |
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| Connections to Organic Chemistry | |
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| How Do Sutures Dissolve? | |
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| How Do You Deodorize Skunk Spray on Your Dog? | |
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| How Do Forensic Chemists Use Visible Stains to Trap Thieves? | |
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| Why Is White Willow Bark Known as "Nature's Aspirin"? | |
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| Why Does Balsamic Vinegar Have a Sweet Taste? | |
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| How Do "Sniffing Dogs" Detect Narcotics or Explosives? | |
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| Why Should You Avoid Acidic Foods When Taking Penicillin? | |
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| Why Do We Detect Odor in an "Odorless Gas" Leak? | |
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| Why Must Ammonia Cleansers Never Be Mixed with Bleach? | |
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| What Is "Alpha Hydroxy Acid" in Antiaging Creams? | |
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| What Is an "Alcohol-Free" Cosmetic? | |
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| What Is the "Cool Sensation" in Toothpaste and Breath Fresheners? | |
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| When We Buy Fresh Fish, Why Does Its Smell Indicate Its Freshness? | |
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| Are Flamingos Naturally Pink? | |
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| What Causes Ice Cream to Develop a Gritty Texture during Long Periods of Storage? | |
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| Why Is Some Olive Oil Designated as "Extra Virgin"? | |
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| How Can Sucralose, an Artificial Sweetener Made from Sugar, Contain No Calories? | |
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| Connections to Polymers | |
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| How Does a Timed-Release Medicine Work? | |
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| How Does "Scratch & Sniff" and Carbonless Copy Paper Work? | |
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| How Do "Repositional Self-Adhesive Paper Notepad Sheets" (Post-it Notes) Work? | |
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| What Is "Shatterproof" Glass? | |
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| Why Does Superglue Stick to Almost Every Surface? | |
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| What Is the Difference between Hard and Soft Contact Lenses? | |
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| Connections to Materials | |
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| What Is the Composition of an Artificial Hip? | |
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| What Is Liquidmetal (in Liquidmetal Golf Clubs)? | |
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| How Does an Automatic Fire Sprinkler Head Operate? | |
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| Connections to Biochemistry | |
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| Connections to the Environment | |
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| Index | |