Chemistry fun and tricks

Chemistry is a fantastic science. Here are some fun and interesting chemistry facts for you.

• The only elements that are liquid at room temperature are bromine and mercury. However, you can melt gallium by holding a lump in the warmth of your hand.
  
  
• Unlike many substances, water expands as it freezes. An ice cube takes up about 9% more volume than the water used to make it.
  
  
• If you pour a handful of salt into a full glass of water, the water level will actually go down rather than overflowing the glass.
  
  
• A pure element can take many forms. For example, diamond and graphite both are forms of pure carbon.
  
  
• The chemical name for water (H2O) is dihydrogen monoxide.
  
  
• The only two non-silvery metals are gold and copper.
  
  
• Although oxygen gas is colorless, the liquid and solid forms of oxygen are blue.
  
  
• The human body contains enough carbon to provide 'lead' (which is really graphite) for about 9,000 pencils.
  
  
• Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, while oxygen is the most abundant element in the earth's atmosphere, crust, and oceans (about 49.5%).
• Hydrofluoric acid is so corrosive that it will dissolve glass. Although it is corrosive, hydrofluoric acid is considered to be a 'weak acid'.
  
  
• Hot peppers get their heat from a molecule called capsaicin. While the molecule acts as an irritant to mammals, including humans, birds lack the receptor responsible for the effect and are immune to the burning sensation from exposure.
  
  
• Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide, CO2.
  
  
• Liquid air has a bluish tint, similar to water.