Why Does Salt Melt Ice?
Salt melts ice by dissolving in the thin layer of liquid water that naturally exists on an ice surface. Sodium and chloride ions make…
Oct 7, 2026 • 14 min readThe latest stories, clear explanations and essential discoveries from Chemistry.

Glow sticks produce light through chemiluminescence. Bending the plastic tube breaks a small inner glass vial and mixes hydrogen peroxide with an oxalate ester solution containing a fluorescent dye. The reaction creates a high-energy…
Oct 9, 2026 • 13 min readRead the discovery →New stories, explanations and research from Chemistry.
Salt melts ice by dissolving in the thin layer of liquid water that naturally exists on an ice surface. Sodium and chloride ions make…
Oct 7, 2026 • 14 min read
Soap removes grease because each surfactant molecule has a water-attracting head and an oil-attracting tail. The tails associate with grease while the heads remain…
Oct 6, 2026 • 13 min read
Cutting an onion ruptures cells and mixes enzymes with sulfur-containing molecules that were stored separately. Alliinase begins the reaction, and lachrymatory-factor synthase helps produce…
Oct 3, 2026 • 13 min read
Salt melts ice by dissolving in the thin layer of liquid water that naturally exists on an ice surface. Sodium and chloride ions make…
Oct 7, 2026 • 14 min read
Soap removes grease because each surfactant molecule has a water-attracting head and an oil-attracting tail. The tails associate with grease while the heads remain…
Oct 6, 2026 • 13 min read
Cutting an onion ruptures cells and mixes enzymes with sulfur-containing molecules that were stored separately. Alliinase begins the reaction, and lachrymatory-factor synthase helps produce…
Oct 3, 2026 • 13 min readOne remarkable idea at a time—nature, science, history and beyond.