Skip to content
Ask a Chemist: Explain it like I'm five? episode artwork

Jun 19, 2025 30 min

Ask a Chemist: Explain it like I'm five?

from Chemistry For Your Life Hosted by Bleav + For Your Life

This episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life' features Melissa and Jam tackling various chemistry questions sourced from the 'Explain Like I'm Five' subreddit. They aim to explain complex chemistry concepts in a manner even a 5-year-old could understand. Questions discussed include why water isn't flammable, how carbonation works, the nature of colors and atoms, cooking processes, caloric changes during cooking, and why drawings on a steamy mirror reappear. The episode emphasizes simplifying complex ideas and making chemistry relatable to everyday life. 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:50 Explaining Chemistry Like You're Five 01:31 Welcome to Chemistry for Your Life 02:30 Why Isn't Water Flammable? 07:00 How Does Carbonation Work? 09:48 Are Atoms Different Colors? 13:12 What Happens When Cooking Food? 14:14 Understanding the Science of Cooking 15:12 The Chemistry Behind Frying and Toasting 16:35 Exploring the Role of Ingredients in Cooking 17:57 Calories and Cooking: What Changes? 22:49 The Mystery of Steamy Mirror Drawings 27:06 Wrapping Up and Community Thanks ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★ Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Thanks to our monthly supporters Vince W Julie S. Heather R Autoclave Chelsea M Dorien VD Scott B Jessie R Ciara L J0HNTR0Y Jeannette N Cullyn R Erica B Elizabeth P Sarah M Rachel R Letila Katrina B Suzanne P Venus R Lyn S Jacob T Brian K Emerson W Kristina G Timothy P Steven B Chris and Claire S Chelsea B Avishai B Hunter R ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★ Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

This episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life' features Melissa and Jam tackling various chemistry questions sourced from the 'Explain Like I'm Five' subreddit. They aim to explain complex chemistry concepts in a manner even a 5-year-old could understand. Questions discussed include why water isn't flammable, how carbonation works, the nature of colors and atoms, cooking processes, caloric changes during cooking, and why drawings on a steamy mirror reappear. The episode emphasizes simplifying complex ideas and making chemistry relatable to everyday life.

Ready to play

Ask a Chemist: Explain it like I'm five?

0:00 30:00

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Chemistry For Your Life?

This episode is 30 minutes long.

When was this Chemistry For Your Life episode published?

This episode was published on June 19, 2025.

Can I download this Chemistry For Your Life episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.