Hello Friends! We hope everyone is still enjoying their winter break from class and all those assignments and labs. In our free time, we did a little research on the molecule glycerol. This molecule is also known as propane-1,2,3-triol by the IUPAC naming system. Glycerol is very useful because it is non toxic and has a sweet taste. It has many applications, such as: sugar replacement, lubricant, skin moisturizer, and anywhere else as an oil replacement. It is produced as a byproduct of saponification (soap making) and is also used to make explosives like nitroglycerine. Glycerol is very popular in industry for its wide range of applications, yet it is also fun to play with. With three hydroxyl groups, this molecule can experience a bit of hydrogen bonding with water. This means that in the right conditions, a solution of soap, corn syrup, water and glycerol can make a large super bubble. These ingredients all work together with hydrogen bonds and long hydrocarbon chains to allow a larger and stronger bubble to form. If you would like to read more about glycerol, the article “Glycerol” by science.jrank.org has a lot of information. Here is a fun video of glycerol super bubbles, for once we can encourage everyone to try this at home! youtu.be/w9ASVgO9U6k Enjoy the rest of break, and have a happy new year!
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 04:26:43 +0000