Skip to main content

An onions truth.

The chemistry lesson to my science students.   
                           Why onions make us cry?




Who has never sobbed while cutting an onion? While apart from those who have never cut one and beyond.  This is a little clarification...Chemistry DID

Inside the onion cells there are some chemical compounds that contain sulfur. When you cut an onion its cells are broken and those chemical compounds then endure a reaction that transmutes them into a more volatile sulfured product, which are released into the air.

These sulfured compounds react with the moisture in our eyes forming sulfuric acid, thus, producing a burning sensation. The nerves endings in our eyes are very delicate and they pick up on this irritation.  The brain reacts by telling our tear ducts to produce more water, to dilute the irritating acid. Therefore, one cries to keep eyes protected from the acid. 


There are several tricks to make onion-dicing less problematic:

-          Chop the onion under cold water. The volatile sulfured compounds will be released but then they react with the water, instead of reaching one’s eyes.
-          Can freeze the onion for 10 minutes before cutting it. The cold temperature of the onion will slow down the chemical reaction. 

 



Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 24, 2014 at 4:09 AM

    Sir Sacha, nice scientific reason and thanks for your solution. I would like to give a try.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sancha raiJuly 25, 2014 at 2:33 AM

      If you try you will feel the difference...hop to see you positive reply thennn...

      Delete
  2. TSHEWANG DORJIJuly 25, 2014 at 2:00 AM

    Nice !...go through this: http://tshewangd.blogspot.com/2013/07/story-form-kitchen.html
    just story!....:P

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 25, 2014 at 3:51 AM

    I think I also should give a try cutting onions according the scientific tips you have shared here. Thank you..

    ReplyDelete
  4. sancha raiJuly 27, 2014 at 6:53 PM

    Just try and find the differences la...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golden Words Of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck "...in particular, speaking for myself; my sorrow in having lost my own father is indeed very great. What is more the country has lost a king whose kind has till now never been known..."                                                                ( Royal proclamation to the people of Bhutan, July 26, 1972)                                      "...as far as you, my people, are concerned, you should not adopt the attitude that whatever is required to be done for your welfare will be done entirely by the government. On the contrary, a little effort on your part will be much more effective than a great deal of eff...
3 comments
Read more

The Story of Malika Chand.

There lived a schoolteacher named Malika Chand. She loved teaching and treated her students as she would, her own children. Nurturing their potential with great kindness. Her perennial motto was, 'Your,  I can is more important than your,  IQ .' She was known throughout her community as a person who lived to give. Who selflessly served anyone in need? Sadly, her beloved school, which had stood as a silent witness to the delightful progress of generations of children, succumbed to the flames of a fire set by an arsonist one night. All those in the community felt this great loss. But as time passed by, their anger gave way to apathy and they resigned themselves to the fact that their children would be without a school. "What about Malika?"   "She was different, an eternal optimist if there ever was one. Unlike everyone around her, she perceived opportunity in what had happened. She told all the parents that every setback offers an equivalent benefit ...
3 comments
Read more

In The Shoe of Rinzin Namgyal Sir

Rinzin Namgyal Sir. Photo: Sancha Rai Rinzin Sir (R) & Kuenzang T. Sir (L). Source: Sancha Rai Rinzin Namgyal, who served as the School Principal of Zhemgang Central School (ZCS) from 2013 to the end of 2020, is regarded as one of the most dynamic leaders in the school's history.  Coming from the small village of  Langthel  in  Trongsa , he began his career as a Physics & Maths teacher and later served as vice-chair at Jigme Sherubling CS in the east before taking on the role of Principal at Zhemgang CS. Rinzin Namgyal, a man of few words yet a reservoir of wisdom and great personality has made Zhemgang CS heard at the national level not just in academics but also in other disciplines.  His tenure, marked by unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, transformed the school into a beacon of excellence in the heart of Bhutan. With an innate ability to lead, Rinzin sir embodied the qualities of a true leader—one who sacrifices for the greater...
9 comments
Read more