ChemMatters Archive
ChemMatters is produced by the American Chemical Society in October, December, February, and April. The archive gives you access to all of ChemMatters’ past articles, dating back to February 1983. The most recently released issue is available through a complimentary subscription, if you chose to receive one when you joined AACT.
For recent articles, issues, or available teacher’s guides visit acs.org/ChemMatters.
AACT members can access the archive and generate a Student Pass that gives their students access to the articles. Available Teacher’s Guides can also be found next to the corresponding issue and article in the archive.
Search for Articles
Use the filters in the Filter by: section to search for an archived article by title, keyword, month, and/or year.
Pro Tips:
- Read about the ChemMatters Archives’ updates!
- To view an article’s ChemMatters Issue, click on the Issue Date link.
Filter by:
-
From Liquid to Foam: How Egg Whites Change TextureWhy is beating egg whites into a stiff foam so difficult to achieve? We look at the chemistry behind egg whites and show you how to make the perfect angel food cake.
Issue Date | February 2015
-
Open for Discussion | A Healthy Dose of SkepticismWe discuss three examples of widely believed facts that seem to make sense, but then, on second thought, do not hold up to scrutiny.
Issue Date | February 2015
-
A Measure of ConfusionThe United States is one of only three countries in the world that has not adopted the metric system as their official measurement system. Why are we attached to a hodgepodge of units that are derived from both the English and metric measurement systems?
Issue Date | December 2014
-
As a Matter of Fact | December 2014The Aroma of Rain: What Causes the Smells Before and After Rainfall?
Issue Date | December 2014
-
How Toxic Is Toxic?Every substance that we consume in our daily lives can be toxic—even water, salt, and sugar. It just depends how much of it you ingest. So, how much is too much?
Issue Date | December 2014
-
Open for Discussion | Are Chemicals Getting a Bad Rap?Everything around us is made of chemicals, yet many people think they can buy or eat “chemical-free” products. We demystify the myths behind the popular meaning of the word “chemical.”
Issue Date | December 2014
-
Pheromones: The Chemical Language of AnimalsUnlike people, many animals use a “chemical” language to communicate. This language helps cats to recognize people, ants to find your picnic, and bees to identify one another.
Issue Date | December 2014
-
Red, Brown, Black, Orange Hair Today, Bleached TomorrowBleaching hair is trickier than it looks. To figure out how bleach works, we looked at the molecules that give hair its color and how the molecules in bleach take that color away.
Issue Date | December 2014
-
So Tired in the Morning... The Science of SleepWhy is it so hard for most teens to wake up early in the morning? It turns out the brain chemistry of teens is different from that of children and adults.
Issue Date | December 2014
-
As a Matter of Fact | October 2014Everyday Compounds: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Issue Date | October 2014