Joseph Priestley invented the
carbonation process in 1767. And couple years later, a Swiss scientist - Jacob
Schweppe created the world’s first soft drink: Schweppe’s Tonic Water!
Opening a can of Coca-Cola,
what’s you see first? The fizzing sound or the sight of bubbles rising. Well, that
fizz is a chemical process and in fact, this is pretty cool chemistry going on
right inside each tiny can of frizzy drink.
WHY IS IT FIZZY?
Do you enjoy the feeling of
bubbles bursting in your mouths while drinking coke?
These bubbles happen because of
carbonation which occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in water (H2O). CO2
needs a special condition to be easily dissolved, therefore, manufacturers need
to increase the pressure in the can/bottle and keep it at a low temperature. Then,
the can is then sealed so that it is airtight so the CO2 molecules will not
escape. Inside the can, some CO2 dissolves in water, some others sit in gas
form between the top of the bottle or can and the liquid.
WHAT CHEMICAL REACTIONS ARE GOING ON?
When CO2 dissolves in H2O, they
react to form a dilute solution of carbonic acid (H2CO3).H2O + CO2 ⇋ H2CO3
The symbol ⇋ in the chemical equation shows
that the reaction is reversible. That means the carbonic acid can be converted
back to water and carbon dioxide. When a can of pop is sealed, high pressure
inside the can forces the carbonic acid to stay still.
But when you open that can, the
pressure is released. Backward reaction of carbonic acid to form water and
carbon dioxide will happen.
The gaseous CO2 at the top of the
can will now escape. And since the can is no longer under pressure, the
dissolved CO2 starts coming out of the solution. This forms bubbles, which
release the CO2 into the air.
WHY DOES FIZZ TASTE SO GOOD?
The dilute carbonic acid creates
a slight burning sensation on your tongue.
As CO2 bubbles away from the
liquid, the reactants and products move again towards equilibrium. This causes
the backward reaction to take over. As that happens, the concentration of
carbonic acid in the drink gets lower and lower. As the amount of H2CO3 in the
beverage goes down, so does the soda’s ability to bring about that tingling
sensation on your tongue.
The Chemistry of Emotions
Introduction
Emotions are very complex and have different meanings to
different people, but essentially, emotions are a conscious experience that are
categorized by states of mind, external and internal reactions, and
expressions. I chose emotions for my project because they are huge part of
everyday life, and emotions affect the decisions we make, and the people we
are. I also think that the human brain is fascinating and that studying what it
can do is fun.
Composition of ...
Not only are there chemical components of emotions, but there
are others such as physical components as well. I’ll start with the chemical
components. There are so many chemicals involved with emotions that only the
most important ones can be listed. The following are neurotransmitters:
dopamine (C8H11NO2), serotonin (C10H12N2O), noradrenaline (C8H11NO3),
acetylcholine (C7NH16O2+), histamine (C5H9N3), GABA (C4H9NO2), and glutamic
acid (C5H9NO4). The other components are not chemical components but are parts
of the emotional experience. They are cognitive appraisal, bodily symptoms,
action, tendencies, expression, and feelings.
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter is a
chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse to a
postsynaptic element such as another nerve, muscle or gland. Neurotransmitters
have a large impact on mood and emotions, and a surplus or lack of
neurotransmitters can cause behavioral problems. Neurotransmitter balance has a
connection to health, nutrition, environmental factors, external emotional
stimulus, and genetic factors. Dopamine (C8H11NO2) is made out of carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.
It is involved in focus, drive, attention, memory, and thinking clearly. Arvid Carlson discovered dopamine in 1957. It was discovered in Lund, Sweden. Dopamine has a big role in positive emotions, and a lack of dopamine can cause parkinson's disease. Dopamine is also instrumental to the storage and creation of new memories.
Serotonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, just like dopamine. It’s
purpose is to regulate mood, thinking, and impulse control. Serotonin
(C10H12N2O) is made out of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Serotonin
affects arousal, anxiety, mood, impulse control, aggression, and thinking
abilities. In 1948, Irvine Page, Arda Green andt Maurice Rapport discovered
Serotonin in Cleveland, Ohio.
Serotonin regulates emotions. With enough of it, we feel
happy, optimistic, etc. However, when there is a lack of serotonin, there can
be depression, anxiety, irritability, etc.
Photo from TeePublic
Chemistry's Role
Dopamine is a naturally occurring chemical. It is produced by
the human body, not by man. (However, dopamine can be produced by man and used
in the form injectable drugs such as Intropin, Dopastat, and Revimine to treat
certain illnesses affecting the nervous system.) Dopamine isn’t produced in
just one area of the brain. It’s produced in several areas. These areas include
substantia nigra, the ventral tegmental area, hypothalamus, the arcuate
nucleus, the zona incerta, and the periventricular nucleus. Within these areas,
nerve cell bodies manufacture dopamine.
Like dopamine, serotonin is produced in the brain, but it can
also be produced by man. Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid
L-tryptophan by a short metabolic pathway consisting of two enzymes: amino acid
decarboxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase. Serotonin can be produced in the lab
using Psilocybe coprophila and Aspergillus niger as catalysts. Ethanol, HCL,
NaOH, and water are also involved in the process. The first phase to
5-hydroxytryptophan would require allowing tryptophan sit in ethanol and water
for seven days, then stirring in enough HCl to bring the pH to three, and then
adding NaOH to make a pH of 13 for one hour. Aspergillus niger is the catalyst
for this first step. The second step to synthesizing tryptophan itself from the
5-hydroxytryptophan intermediate would require adding ethanol and water, and
letting sit for 30 days. The next two steps would be the same as the first
phase: adding HCl to make the pH = three, and then adding NaOH to make the pH
very basic at 13 for one hour. This phase uses the Psilocybe coprophila as the
catalyst.
Background Research
There are many different emotions, including affection,
anger, angst, anguish, annoyance, anxiety, apathy, arousal, awe, boredom,
confidence, contempt, contentment, courage, curiosity, depression, desire,
despair, disappointment, disgust, distrust, dread, ecstasy, embarrassment,
envy, euphoria, excitement, fear, frustration, gratitude, grief, guilt, happiness,
hatred, hope, horror, hostility, hurt, hysteria, indifference, interest,
jealousy, joy, loathing, loneliness, love, lust, outrage, panic, passion, pity,
pleasure, pride, rage, regret, relief, remorse, sadness, satisfaction,
self-confidence, shame, shock, shyness, sorrow, suffering, surprise, terror,
trust, wonder, worry, zeal, and zest.
Emotions are not really made out of anything, but how we feel
emotions can be described. Emotions come from the arousal of the nervous
system. Neurotransmitters and hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, are
chemicals that are involved in the process of feeling emotions.
Millions of chemical reactions take place in the brain at any
given time. Chemical reactions occur because of synapses. Synapses are parts of
the nervous system, and it is through these that neurons are able to transmit
messages using neurotransmitters.
Emotions are typically measured in physiological responses,
such as a pounding heart, sweating, blood rushing to the face, and the release
of adrenaline. Expression is also a major part of emotions. Expression is
associated with parts of the nervous system such as the motor cortex, limbic
system, and the brain stem. The parts of the nervous system that affect emotion
the most are the frontal lobes and the amygdala. The frontal cortex is usually
associated with feelings of happiness and pleasure. The amygdala is usually
associated with feelings of anger, fear, and sadness.