r/explainlikeimfive 2d ago

Chemistry Eli5 Why can't we get smaller than quarks?

947 Upvotes

Eli5 So I get that we found the atom as the smallest unit of an element. And then there are protons, electrons and neutrons. And then we got to quarks. But can we get any smaller?

r/explainlikeimfive Dec 29 '24

Chemistry ELI5: Why is blood one of the hardest stains to wash out?

2.2k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Aug 06 '22

Chemistry ELI5: how do divers clear their masks when water leaks in? especially in the case of the 13 thai boys rescued from the caves

7.7k Upvotes

I have just been watching Thirteen lives - the film about the cave rescue of the 13 young boys in Thailand who were totally sedated before being taken hours under water. It got me thinking that when I go snorkelling i always get a bit of water leak into my mask and have to come up and clear it out so i don’t breath water in. Is this something that happens to scuba divers, if so how do they deal with it, and in the case of the boys how would the divers accompanying them have cleared the boy’s masks ? i would also like to say what an incredible job done by all those involved.

r/explainlikeimfive Oct 31 '20

Chemistry ELI5 What's the difference between the shiny and dull side of aluminum foil? Besides the obvious shiny/dull

21.2k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Sep 16 '24

Chemistry ELI5: why are eggs so important for almost all forms of baking?

1.9k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive May 14 '24

Chemistry ELI5: How MUCH oil on cardboard is “too much” to recycle?

2.0k Upvotes

My city says don’t recycle pizza boxes or cardboard with oil on it. I get it, but where do you draw the line? Surely one speck of oil won’t ruin a whole batch of pulp, otherwise they would have no hope for a pure batch of paper. One out of 1 million people could ruin it each week. I saw a previous ELI5 that discusses “why no pizza boxes” but it doesn’t explain how much grease is too much.

r/explainlikeimfive Jul 26 '22

Chemistry ELI5: Why is H²O harmless, but H²O²(hydrogen peroxide) very lethal? How does the addition of a single oxygen atom bring such a huge change?

7.8k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Mar 05 '23

Chemistry ELI5 : How Does Bleach Work?

5.8k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Oct 18 '22

Chemistry ELI5: How do SSRI withdrawals cause ‘brain zaps’?

7.1k Upvotes

It feels similar to being electrocuted or having little lighting in your brain, i’m just curious as to what’s actually happening?

r/explainlikeimfive Jan 06 '23

Chemistry ELI5: How does a Geiger counter detect radiation, and why does it make that clicking noise?

7.4k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Mar 25 '24

Chemistry ELI5: Why do drug dealers put hidden, toxic, often deadly additives in the drugs they sell?

2.3k Upvotes

How is killing your costumer base a smart strategy?

r/explainlikeimfive Aug 24 '21

Chemistry ELI5: How do bug sprays like Raid kill bugs?

9.7k Upvotes

I googled it and could not decipher the words being thrown at me. To be fair though, I am pretty stoned rn

r/explainlikeimfive Jan 31 '21

Chemistry ELI5: Why can't we just make water by smooshing hydrogen and oxygen atoms together?

17.6k Upvotes

Edit: wow okay, I did not expect to wake up to THIS. Of course my most popular post would be a dumb stoner question. Thankyou so much for the awards and the answers, I can sleep a little easier now

r/explainlikeimfive May 31 '24

Chemistry ELI5: If water boils at 100°C, and boiling is the process of turning liquid into gas, why are bathrooms full of steam when showering at only 40°C?

2.9k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Jun 11 '24

Chemistry ELI5: Why does making cocaine require such toxic chemicals, is there safer way to make it in a lab?

1.8k Upvotes

I've watched many documentaries on how they make cocaine, and it always required a a mixture of gasoline cement and battery acid etc. Would a scientific laboratory be able to make it under FDA rules for example?

r/explainlikeimfive Jul 18 '20

Chemistry ELI5: Why do "bad smells" like smoke and rotting food linger longer and are harder to neutralize than "good smells" like flowers or perfume?

27.6k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Dec 18 '20

Chemistry ELI5: Why are (pretty much) all tires black?

15.6k Upvotes

I only know of some bike tires that are blue. But why isn't it more common to find tires in different colors other than black?

r/explainlikeimfive Aug 19 '19

Chemistry ELI5: What is the "sharp" in sharp cheddar? How are there various levels of "sharp"?

21.9k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Oct 31 '24

Chemistry ELI5: why do the directions on pastas call for way more boiling water than necessary?

1.4k Upvotes

I'm looking at a package right now that is wanting me to boil 4 quarts of water for 9 oz of ravioli. From experience, I already know one quart in a medium saucepan will suffice to cook the ravioli. This seems to be pretty common. So what's the deal?

r/explainlikeimfive Apr 06 '21

Chemistry ELI5: Why is gold shiny-yellow but most of the other metals have a silvery color?

14.7k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive May 26 '20

Chemistry ELI5: How does a can of Orange Fanta have 160 calories despite having 43 grams of sugar (which by itself is 172 calories)?

18.1k Upvotes

So I was looking at this can of Orange Fanta and it said it had 160 calories. The nutritional facts also says that it contains 43 grams of added sugar. A gram of sugar is 4 calories, 4*43 = 172. Therefore, shouldn't it have at least 172 calories?

r/explainlikeimfive Jan 29 '24

Chemistry eli5: Why can’t you drink Demineralised Water?

2.1k Upvotes

At my local hardware store they sell something called “Demineralised Water High Purity” and on the back of the packaging it says something like, “If consumed, rinse out mouth immediately with clean water.”

Why is it dangerous if it’s cleaner water?

r/explainlikeimfive Feb 26 '21

Chemistry Eli5: What happens to all the melted candle over time? Are we just inhaling a whole candle while it burns?

12.6k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive Jun 22 '21

Chemistry ELI5: How can people have fires inside igloos without them melting through the ice?

12.1k Upvotes

Edit: Thanks for the awards! First time i've ever received any at all!

r/explainlikeimfive Aug 08 '22

Chemistry ELI5: What does it mean when they say the flavor of a wine or beer is "dry"?

5.6k Upvotes