October 2022

Free Articles

FEATURE

Don't Sweat It: How Moisture-Wicking Fabrics Keep You Cool and Dry

By Brian Rohrig
If you work hard enough during sports or exercise, you are going to sweat.  Whether or not you keep comfortable doing it is a matter of chemistry. 


OPEN FOR DISCUSSION

A Periodic Table of Its Own?

By Sam Lemonick
The periodic table is considered the bedrock of chemistry education. But what use is it if a student can’t read it?


CHEMISTRY IN PERSON

Keeping Us Safe

By Carmen Drahl
Lead formulator of Purell hand sanitizer, Kayla Ivey, talks about rising to COVID-19’s challenges and gaining a soapbox on Twitter.

Subscriber Exclusive Articles

ChemMatters subscribers have full access to all feature articles in this issue. 

Access full content as a subscriber for only $16 a year

Full access to upcoming issues

Print & digital issues

Subscribe

Current Subscriber? Log In

Person holding glowsticks

What Are Glow Sticks, and What is the Chemical Reaction That Makes Them Light Up?

By Bethany Halford/Chemical & Engineering News
If you’re trick-or-treating on Halloween or dancing the night away, glow sticks provide a cool source of light. That light is made by a chemical reaction—a phenomenon known as chemiluminescence.

Teacher's Guide (DOC)   Teacher's Guide (Google Doc)


Field of opium poppies

The Opioid Epidemic: How Did It Get This Bad?

By Steven Farmer
Opioids are a class of drugs that work in the brain to relieve pain by blocking pain signals between the brain and the body. When used correctly they are great medicines, but when they are abused, they can be lethal. 

Teacher's Guide (DOC)   Teacher's Guide (Google Doc)


Jellyfish

Origin of Life

By Danielle Sedbrook
How did life on Earth begin? Scientists and philosophers have been pondering this question for millennia. We know more today than ever about what life is and how it works, but there’s still so much we don’t know about how life began.

Teacher's Guide (DOC)   Teacher's Guide (Google Doc)

Contact Us

chemmatters@acs.org
1-800-333-9511 (US and Canada) | 614-447-3776 (outside North America)