Chris Hasegawa, PhD
Retired Science Professor & Dean
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Co-authored Articles (14)
How to
Calculate the Concentration of a Solution
In chemistry, a solution’s concentration is how much of a dissolvable substance, known as a solute, is mixed with another substance, called the solvent. The standard formula is C = m/V, where C is the concentration, m...
How to
Read pH Strips
If you’re interested in testing the alkalinity or acidity of a liquid, you can use pH strips to help you determine the pH level. If you’ve never used a pH strip, though, it might look like just a plain strip of paper...
How to
Calculate the Enthalpy of a Chemical Reaction
Use Hess’s law to quickly find the enthalpies of reactionsDuring any chemical reaction, heat can be either taken in from the environment or released out into it. The heat exchange between a chemical reaction and its en...
How to
Calculate Bond Order in Chemistry
On the atomic level, bond order is the number of bonded electron pairs between two atoms. In diatomic nitrogen (N≡N), for instance, the bond order is 3 because there are 3 chemical bonds linking the two nitrogen atoms....
How to
Raise the pH of Water
Water typically has a neutral pH around 7, but added minerals and chemicals can cause it to drop into acidic levels. Overly acidic water can change your body’s pH levels when ingested, harm fish in an aquarium, or caus...
How to
Adjust Water pH
pH measures the amount of acidity or base in a liquid. If you need to adjust the pH level of your water—whether for a science experiment, gardening, drinking water, a fish tank, or any other need—begin by measuring t...
How to Find the pH of a Solution (with Formula)
Learn to compute the pH level with a simple equationYou can calculate the pH of a chemical solution, or how acidic or basic it is, using the pH formula: pH = -log10. Anything less than 7 is acidic, and anything greater t...
How to
Study Muscle Anatomy
There are over 600 muscles in the human body, and memorizing them all can be really tough. However, it will be a lot more manageable if you break the task into chunks. In addition, learning the root words that make up th...
How to
Test pH
The pH level measures how acidic or alkaline a material is. Distilled water is neutral and measures 7.0 on the pH scale. Materials from 1-6 are acidic and materials from 8-14 are alkaline. If you'd like to find out for y...
How to
Dilute an Acid
Learn whether you add acid to water or water to acidPurchasing the most dilute acid that will meet you needs is recommended for safety and ease of use, but sometimes you will need to dilute it further at home. Do not ski...
How to
Prove That Light Travels in a Straight Path
Light is an essential part of your day. It allows you to see objects, shapes, and colors. In fact, the pupils in your eyes filter in light to help you see everything around you. As part of a school assignment, you may be...
How to
Distinguish Between Acids and Bases
In chemistry, the easiest way to distinguish acids and bases is to look at the substance's pH level—acids have a pH of less than 7 while bases have a pH greater than 7. But what if you don't happen to have any litmus p...
How to
Get Good Grades in Chemistry
Chemistry, like other math-heavy fields in the sciences, is a subject which requires hard work and effort to master. Chemistry entails equations, formulas, and diagrams; some of these may have to be memorized, while othe...
2 Easy Ways to Make Green Flames at Home
Explore the chemistry that causes regular fires to burn greenFires typically produce yellow and orange flames, but by adding different chemicals, you can turn the flames into an otherworldly shade of green. If you want t...