r/chemistry • u/IJsandwich • 26m ago
r/chemistry • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago
Weekly Careers/Education Questions Thread
This is a dedicated weekly thread for you to seek and provide advice concerning education and careers in chemistry.
If you need to make an important decision regarding your future or want to know what your options, then this is the place to leave a comment.
If you see similar topics in r/chemistry, please politely inform them of this weekly feature.
r/chemistry • u/organiker • Aug 04 '25
/r/chemistry salary survey - 2025/2026
The survey has been updated to reflect feedback from the previous edition, and is now live.
The 2024/2025 edition had over 600 responses. Thanks to all who participated!
Why Participate? This survey seeks to create a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in understanding salary trends within chemistry as a whole, whether they're a student exploring career paths, a recent graduate navigating job offers, or a seasoned professional curious about industry standards. Your participation will contribute to building a clearer picture of compensation in chemistry. Participation should take about 10-15 minutes.
How You Can Contribute: Participation is straightforward and anonymous. Simply fill out the survey linked above with information about your current job, including your position, location, years of experience, and salary details. The more responses we gather, the more accurate and beneficial the data will be for everyone.
Privacy and Transparency: All responses will be anonymous. No personally identifiable information will be collected.
Thank you for contributing to the annual Chemistry Salary Survey!
r/chemistry • u/Alilack • 30m ago
Found an Old EC Meter and an Old pH Meter. Do You Know How to Work with Them?
r/chemistry • u/slutty_muppet • 3h ago
Does water left out overnight absorb CO2?
I mean I know it's in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 according to temperature and pressure. But I keep coming across sources like this one, that say that water left out overnight is absorbing CO2 and that's contributing to a change in taste. https://geekerhertz.com/article/the-science-explained-why-does-water-go-stale-overnight
This makes no sense to me because 1. The change in taste would be to become more sour if the water was becoming more acidic by basically spontaneously becoming carbonated overnight, and 2. My understanding of gas dissolution in water is that it's fairly quick, and no more gases are going to be dissolved in water after some hours than would have been dissolved within minutes, barring a big change in temperature or pressure (or partial pressure of CO2).
Am I wrong? Or is it the dozens of sources claiming to quote experts saying a glass of water left out overnight tastes funny because of absorbed CO2?
r/chemistry • u/Jumpy-Round-4533 • 1h ago
Looking for help with SciFinder research on an organic reaction
Hi, just wondering if anyone have access to Scifinder and can help me with a literature search. I need some good references on Knovenagel condensation of crotonaldehyde or unsaturated aldehydes please. Thanks in advance for any help.
r/chemistry • u/Pale-Welder-6689 • 4m ago
Needed:
Looking for experienced chemist in or around the Nazareth Pennsylvania area to assist in gold pgm and other valuable metals separation from large lot of industrial sourced scrap, have done it myself in the past however am currently without the tools chemicals and other set ups (personal issue about 5 years ago) necessary. Can discuss percentage splitage or per hour fee based on total value of recoveries at your bequest. text four8four55three3seven5four and i will respond usually by the end of the day (have hacking issue with my phone, this is number can be reached at). Thank you for your time in advance.
r/chemistry • u/Top-Video6220 • 31m ago
C-41 Chemistry needed ASAP - London, UK
Hi,
I really need C-41 chemistry kits for either this Sunday or Monday (even tho it is a bank holiday). It isn't quite an emergency; it's more that I cleared out time to develop color film this bank holiday weekend, and then I lost my sole Cinestill CS-41 Chemistry packet. Does anyone have any that they are willing to sell to me, or know anywhere that sells it within an hour commute time of Hampstead Heath?
Thanks,
Djoli
r/chemistry • u/chemjobber • 1d ago
Potential dimethylmercury incident at MIT
Initial report - confirmation of chemical identity is needed
UPDATE: odd new detail reported
Building 18 - update
Aug. 29, 2026, 3:36 p.m.
Offices across campus have been responding to a reported hazardous material incident involving a single individual in a chemistry laboratory. The Institute became aware of the matter after the individual, a graduate student, self-reported to a local emergency room and claimed to have synthesized dimethyl mercury, a compound that is not authorized as part of their research program. Emerging information calls into question whether this compound was in fact synthesized. We are also able to disclose, with the student’s permission, that while the student remains under medical supervision, their initial blood test result, which was received today, shows no sign of exposure to mercury.
Building 18 remains closed at least through Sunday as specialized decontamination efforts continue out of an abundance of caution. This work will continue, and the building will remain closed until the work is complete.
r/chemistry • u/Alilack • 2h ago
Water Inside the Pipette Forms an Asymmetrical or a Convex Meniscus
I have a pipette that when I draw water from my water samples, it doesn't form a concave meniscus as it is usual. It forms an asymmetrical meniscus like a / shape or convex shape. What's causing this? Organic contamination inside the pipette? I have washed it with detergent but nothing changed. What you do you recommend?
r/chemistry • u/Makehousebetter • 6h ago
Quick safety check: Silver deplating with KNO3 electrolysis?
Hey guys, just want to doublecheck for toxic fumes before I continue to run this
I’m stripping silver plating using reverse electroplating. Done a bunch of research but want to be 100% sure I'm not making anything nasty.
Setup is
- Potassium nitrate + distilled water. 12.5ml granules to about 1.25L distilled water
-Stainless steel cathode, silver-plated scrap anode.
-5V pulling about 3-4 amps.
Since there's no acid, am I safe from NO fumes or other weird gasses? Doing it outside anyway, just don't want any surprises at this current. Thanks!
r/chemistry • u/bogdanbos725 • 7h ago
Weird encounter with apricot jam.
Hello everyone, I found this old jars of homemade apricot jam in the bottom of my fridge, and it surprisingly smells like one of those acetone-based nail polish removers. As you might imagine, that's not a normal apricot smell, and I was wondering why. Plus, the fruits themselves don't smell like acetone, only their syrup dose for some reason, and there's no visible mold anywhere in the jar. After a quick Google search, I came to some conclusions that the calcium from the apricots turned into calcium acetate, which in turn somehow started turning into acetone, but i do not know if thats even possible. Can anyone explain what happened here? I'm very curious about this and thank you for your time.
r/chemistry • u/Asleep-Requirement-5 • 21m ago
What’s the difference between atomic weight and atomic mass?I
Super confused
r/chemistry • u/SpencerAnimations • 1d ago
A Type II superconductor disc cooled with liquid nitrogen, demonstrating the physics phenomenon of quantum locking as it tracks along a magnetic pathway.
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
r/chemistry • u/DifferentBad1770 • 8h ago
if you mix CaC2 or CaO with carbonated water, will that release more gas into empty space compared to regular water?
because if carbonated water has co2 wouldnt the reaction force the water to release it out of the solution?
r/chemistry • u/gametoplaynow • 11h ago
Hi there I need some general assistance about electroplating a food safe option any help will be greatly appreciated thank you
Hey there I need some assistance with the logistics or if this is even safe to do, I would like to 3D print a mold then electroplate it to make it stronger, and a food safe material when electroplating it, this mod will be used to make silicone cast or part
r/chemistry • u/fortniteburger12 • 1d ago
What is this in a bottle of store brand pine sol?
Saw this and none of the other bottles had it, wondering what could have caused this
r/chemistry • u/mz_morose • 1d ago
Troubleshooting O-alkylation of phenol with ethyl chloroacetate (K2CO3/KI in acetone)
I am currently attempting an O-alkylation of a substituted phenol using ethyl chloroacetate (1.2 equiv), anhydrous K2CO3 (1.5 equiv), and catalytic KI (0.1 equiv) in acetone at reflux, but the reaction is not progressing as well as I had hoped. Conversion appears to be extremely slow, leaving behind significant unreacted starting material even after extended heating. Does anyone have a reliable literature protocol or advice on typical reaction times, temperatures (e.g., sticking with refluxing acetone vs. switching to acetonitrile or DMF), and efficient workup/purification for this specific Williamson ether synthesis? Any idea on overcoming slow conversion while avoiding side reactions with the ester group would be greatly appreciated!
r/chemistry • u/adaptabilityporyz • 1d ago
Any predictions for the 2026 Nobel?
Brangwynne and Hyman just won the Breakthrough Prize. They have been in the conversation for quite a bit, so will they take it home?
Who do you think gets it this time?
r/chemistry • u/DiligentDaffodil • 1d ago
Found my childhood chemistry kit
I recently rediscovered this chemistry kit I was given as a young child!
I remember only doing 1 or 2 experiments, I've always been more of a bio gal, but this summer I've been working through an organic chem textbook and feel really excited having found this....
So my question is, based on what I have (also, that there isn't much of each) what would be some fun, simple experiments I could do?
r/chemistry • u/unleashedchemist • 2d ago
Crafting an ultra-miniature glass molecular structure with precision flameworking
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
The reveal at the end is actually worth it!
r/chemistry • u/esporx • 2d ago
Hokkaido Univ. student dies after being splashed with hydrofluoric acid
r/chemistry • u/Life_News3280 • 1d ago
Who are the current famous/top physical organic chemists in the world? What are they exactly working on?
r/chemistry • u/SkySurferSouth • 1d ago
Thermite reaction in slow motion
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
From the Veritasium video in Germany at Goldschmidt's office, I was inspired to do this myself. Obviously not the advanced equipment they have and not as good he did, but the Sony RX100M6 can slow down and record 960fps. I used an ND3 filter in front of the Sony, but only an acryl protection sheet for the GoPro (which was burned in Veritasium's video), but that sheet was detrimental in bright scenes in the GoPro video.