Removing Tarnish from Silver

Usually when I turn to Compound Interest, I'm looking to find a gorgeous infographic explaining some aspect of chemistry. Today's post from them (him, really), isn't graphical in the least. Instead, it's an in-depth exploration of one of the NACE labs that we perform in our summer, teacher camps: Quicksilver.

Why does the sodium bicarbonate need to be there? Andy explains.

Why do we need the salt? Andy explains.

Where does the rotten egg smell come from? Andy explains.

Why do people still buy polishing plates for as much as $30? Even Andy can't explain that.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The Chemical Elements of a Smartphone

I am an admitted smartphone convert. After I was dropped into Salt Lake City needing a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Office Depot, a bookstore, and a laundromat in the span of a few hours - all of which I found with no problems whatsoever - I don't think I can ever go back to not having the world's knowledge at my fingertips.

Admittedly I wasn't aware of just how many rare earth metals were found in my smartphone, however. Thanks to Compound Interest, now I know.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The Metals in UK Coins

I had no idea that the University of Kentucky had its own mint - or that it used the pound instead of the dollar. Interesting.

In all seriousness, though, the metal composition of United Kingdom coins - something that is surprisingly in flux - is a lot more varied than is the metallic composition of United States coins.

And do remember that the US mint is losing money on every penny it produces. Check out just how much money over on coinflation.com.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The Polymorphs of Chocolate

I have to admit that I have not much experience with the various crystal structures (or, as named, here polymorphs) of chocolate. In my world there's the form of chocolate that hasn't been opened yet and the form that's in my belly. Most of my research happens on the tongue .

Here Compound Interest goes through the six different structures of chocolate and how temperature affects the stability of each one, something that can be highly relateable to some of the alloys that we cover in our summer teacher camps.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The Chemistry of the World Cup Ball

Apparently there's some sort of football futbol tournament going on in South America this month. I assume that there's something I don't understand about the game because that ball up above doesn't look like the pigskin, oblong spheroid that I'm used to.

Wait, they're playing soccer? Oh, that's different. That makes more sense.

It's apparently a pretty involved bit of chemistry in trying to make the ball as perfect as they can, as non-water-absorbant, as perfectly round, as free from drugs and cheating and shoulder-biting as it can be.

Check out the full-sized pdf of the infographic at this link and the original post - with a lot more chemical explanation - here.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The Myriad Uses of Stronger than Steel Kevlar

Kevlar is pretty amazing stuff, stronger and lighter than a steel strand of equivalent diameter would be...unable to stop a knife but fully capable of stopping a bullet.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

What Causes the Colour of Gemstones

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.

The image above shows sixteen gemstones, their chemical compositions, Mohs hardnesses, and - most interestingly to me - the source of their various colours (note the British spelling, I'm so cultured, donchaknow). In summer camp we cover the idea of crystal defects - primarily toward the mechanical properties imparted with dislocations and subtitutional/interstitial/vacancy defects. Here we get the effects of crystal defects showing up as colours in the various gemstones.