McGuyver Meets Mendeleev

in these everyday, chemistry inspired tricks

to make your life a little easier, with all

the evidence you need to back it up.

Now let's get started.

ONE: Bob For Eggs

So what's for breakfast?

Eggs!!! That's right it's omelet time.

The only problem is you can't remember

the last time you actually cooked

for yourself and your carton of eggs

has been tucked away in the back of

your fridge, for who knows how long.

Last thing you want to do stink up

the place cracking open a rotten egg.

So here's what you do.

Fill a large glass container with

water and drop in your eggs.

If they're good to go they’ll stay

at the bottom and if they've gone

bad the float right to the top.

Eggshells are actually very porous

to allow a little breathing room

for developing chicks.

These pores also act as an entrance

to bacteria, which cause the egg to

begin cave in from the inside.

This in turn produces a particularly

stinky gas: hydrogen sulfide.

The build up with this gas inside

the egg over time gives it its blank

queue that you should probably go to

the store and buy some fresh ones.

TWO: Don’t Cry For Onions

You know the deal.

The second your knife cuts through the

onion, the water work starts flowing.

Nothing seems to be able to stop it,

but we've got a trick for you

that will keep your eyes dry.

First a little bit about the chain

of events that brings the fire

to your eyes in the first place.

Onions contain compounds called amino acid sulfoxides.

Every knife stroke into an onion pops

open cells releasing these amino acid

sulfoxides and other enzymes to produce

a compound called sulfenic acid.

The sulfenic acid in the onion enzymes then

react foreign SYN-propanethial-S-oxide.

This is a compound that sends a fiery message

into the nerve center of your eyes, which

then calls on your body's Fire Department

washed the irritant away with tears.

Now you can’t stop this process completely,

but keep this in mind.

Refrigerate your onions before cutting them.

The cold can call can reduce a tendency

of the onions to release those volatile

compounds that start the waterworks.

THREE: Thread the Needle

You're running late for date,

you put on your favorite lucky shirt,

when you realize you accidentally

popped the top button off.

With the anxiety building and the clock ticking,

you try to sew it back on, but

you're shaky hands can’t mange to thread the needle.

When all the forces of the universe

seem to be working against you,

here's a quick tip to get you back on track.

Take the freight end of your thread

and dip it into some clear nail polish.

When the polish dries, you’ll have

a perfectly pointed thread that will

effortlessly slip itself into position.

Nail polishes is a lacquer that is

typically made of nitrocellulose

dissolved in a solvent, usually

the butyl acetate or ethyl acetate.

When that solvent evaporates the

nitrocellulose forms a film over

whatever surface it's on.

Some nail polishes also include resin

such as isocyanate from aldehyde to give

the polish a little extra body and also

plasticizers such as camphor to give it

a little more flexibility.

That comes in handy when the threading

a needle get rid the frayed edges the

view thread to get ready here frayed

nerves and enjoy that date.

FOUR: Go For the Green

You're trying to impress your guests

at an upcoming dinner party, but you

can't seem to get your veggies right.

Every time you cook green veggies,

they turn into a nasty mush green.

Well here's a quick tip to stop

your dish from turning into

a frankenstein veggie platter.

First of all, it's important to know where the green comes from.

Chlorophyll A and B. Chlorophyll A is

responsible for the bright blue green

in some veggies, whereas chlorophyll B

is responsible for the yellow green.

At the center these two molecules

is a magnesium atom,

which keeps the veggies a vibrant green.

When they’re heated, the vegetable cells

are broken-down and release acid,

which is otherwise kept separate

from living cells housed in Chlorophyll.

The acid will quickly replace the magnesium

with hydrogen, turning your veggies

from vibrant to slug green.

So here's a golden rule to keep a vibrant veggie.

Keep you cook time to 7 minutes or less.

By limiting the cook time, you’ll limit the

amount of cell damage and preserve the color.

We’ll folks, thanks for watching the

second installment of Chemistry Life Hacks.

If you have any hacks of your own,

send them over will try to include them

in a future videos. In the meantime,

hit that subscribe button

and we’ll see you again soon.