Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 01:04:18

Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 01:04:18
Well it might not smell to great to some people, but I haven't came across a person that don't think to smells bad even if they don't like it.

SO why is that
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: another_someone on 25/04/2008 03:14:09
Which fresh cut grass?  Freshly cut spring grass has a totally different smell to the grass of late summer.  Spring grass has a much sweeter smell, but becoming more bitter as the grass darkens through the summer.
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Madidus_Scientia on 25/04/2008 06:52:34
My dad once told me never to put grass clippings up against the fence because the citric acid corrodes the wire, not sure if that's true, but if it is it would make sense that we like the smell of mowed grass just as we like the smell of oranges or lemons, positive smells encourage us to eat it (not that we would eat grass :P).
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: another_someone on 25/04/2008 12:14:57
positive smells encourage us to eat it (not that we would eat grass :P).

I think that is the key point - we don't eat grass (OK, we eat some grasses - e.g. rice and wheat are grasses, but that is not the context we are discussing).  In any case, the issue is specifically the smell of mown grass rather than grass in its intact form (i.e. when its insides have been cut open and splashed about the place).
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 13:22:43
Any time of the year. That brings another one, why does it change smell then?
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: rosalind dna on 25/04/2008 13:48:14
Perhaps the reason for the newly mown or cut grass smelling so sweet in some cases might be that the pollen has risen to the air, as I know several people, who happen to suffer from HayFever annually. (not me).
Which is made worse when the grass is cut but I like the smell of it next to newly made coffee and newly baked bread.
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 16:43:13
ohhh
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: rosalind dna on 25/04/2008 17:14:36
ohhh


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever

Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: benep on 25/04/2008 17:49:55
i would think because when you cut the grass freshly it releases some kind of scent that others may like and some may not thats my theory
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Karen W. on 25/04/2008 19:40:39
ITS A FRESH SCENT.. IT OPENS THE BLADE UP AND THE MOISTURE INSIDE, THE BLADES MUST BLEED, IF YOU WILL, CAUSING THE SCENT... WHY WE LIKE THE SCENT IS A DIFFERENT STORY.. I FIND FRESHLY CUT WOOD APPEALING TO MY NOSE...ALSO, THE SCENT OF PINE! FRESH NEW SCENT...! HEALTHY GREEN SENSATIONS COME TO MIND.. TO ME IT TRIGGERS MY PLEASANT THOUGHT OF SPRING.. ITS AS IF, COMING OUT OF THE WINTER AND SURVIVING IT PRODUCES NEW GROWTH WITH THE WARMTH OF THE SUN..... CUTTING THE GRASS IS NOT A NATURAL IN BUILT OCCURRANCE... SO I THINK IT STEMS FROM OUR OWN HEADS AND IN THE FACT THAT IT TRIGGERS THE THOUGHTS OF WARMTH AND SPRING SUMMER GROWTH AND WELL BEING.. LIFTS DEPRESSION SOME  AND HELPS REMOVE THE  SOMETIME LONG DRAGGING GLOOM THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE END OF A VERY LONG HARSH WINTER.. TIME FOR THE GOODNESS OF VITAMIN C AND D FROM THE SUN TO PERK US UP! MY OPINION.. HOWEVER UNEDUCATED!
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: benep on 25/04/2008 21:27:58
ITS A FRESH SCENT.. IT OPENS THE BLADE UP AND THE MOISTURE INSIDE, THE BLADES MUST BLEED, IF YOU WILL, CAUSING THE SCENT... WHY WE LIKE THE SCENT IS A DIFFERENT STORY.. I FIND FRESHLY CUT WOOD APPEALING TO MY NOSE...ALSO, THE SCENT OF PINE! FRESH NEW SCENT...! HEALTHY GREEN SENSATIONS COME TO MIND.. TO ME IT TRIGGERS MY PLEASANT THOUGHT OF SPRING.. ITS AS IF, COMING OUT OF THE WINTER AND SURVIVING IT PRODUCES NEW GROWTH WITH THE WARMTH OF THE SUN..... CUTTING THE GRASS IS NOT A NATURAL IN BUILT OCCURRANCE... SO I THINK IT STEMS FROM OUR OWN HEADS AND IN THE FACT THAT IT TRIGGERS THE THOUGHTS OF WARMTH AND SPRING SUMMER GROWTH AND WELL BEING.. LIFTS DEPRESSION SOME  AND HELPS REMOVE THE  SOMETIME LONG DRAGGING GLOOM THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE END OF A VERY LONG HARSH WINTER.. TIME FOR THE GOODNESS OF VITAMIN C AND D FROM THE SUN TO PERK US UP! MY OPINION.. HOWEVER UNEDUCATED!
i knew it ^^
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 21:36:26
Do you need the caps Karen?
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: benep on 25/04/2008 21:47:43
Do you need the caps Karen?
could have been a accident i dont understand why caps annoys people so much to be honest :)
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Karen W. on 25/04/2008 22:20:46
Do you need the caps Karen?

Well Young man sometimes I use them as I can see and catch my errors better.. I have some need for me specticals and it is easier for me to see the print since me spectacles are way out of date and need upgrading to me currant eye capabillities .. as of now they give me a headache I need to get the prescription updated but am too lazy to do so.. The caps were an accident, but I was also too lazy to go back and fix it as it would mean rewriting it in lower case.. I did not have it in me too do so! Sorry it bugged you! LOL..
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Karen W. on 25/04/2008 22:26:08
Do you need the caps Karen?
could have been a accident i dont understand why caps annoys people so much to be honest :)

THanks Ben.. Me too.. and yes it was accident.. this time I had left it on.. But there are times when I prefer CAPS! especially in topic titles to draw someone to my questions in hopes for answers.. kind a like marketing food products on a shelf at eye level to gain more interest in the product a typical advertising Ploy a is large bold font!.. LOL

It is an interesting idea! for an experiment... two topics with same title which one gets more reponce over 24 hour period. with only the lower case on one title and the caps in the other.. no mention of the experiment?? Try it.. but notify mod forum members so they don't delete one thread until your results are in!
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Simulated on 25/04/2008 22:51:45
Welp, I sorry Ha. thanks for you input guys:)
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: NeilT on 26/04/2008 18:34:43
It looks as though the smells are due to C6 aldehydes and alcohols. This paper gives a fairly good review of what happens when grass decomposes.

http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/cut_grass_pollution.pdf (http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/cut_grass_pollution.pdf)
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: another_someone on 26/04/2008 18:59:27
Do you need the caps Karen?
could have been a accident i dont understand why caps annoys people so much to be honest :)

I had not read the comment before the replies came, but given that Karen does not normally type with full caps, I would have assumed it to be accidental.

Generally, text is easier to read if it is mixed case (all lower case is no easier to read than all upper case).  Upper case letters are generally larger, and so provide less white space between the characters.  White space is important in being able to visually separate characters.  On the other hand, having a short section that is in upper case is useful in drawing particular attention to that section.

Then again, the Latin and Greek/Cyrillic alphabets are unusual in having minuscule and majuscule (the proper term for lower and upper case) letters, and the average Chinese or Arab writer would not know what the fuss was all about.
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Karen W. on 26/04/2008 21:20:17
Welp, I sorry Ha. thanks for you input guys:)
Its ok, your welcome..! squarish had a good link!
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: another_someone on 29/04/2008 20:25:20
It looks as though the smells are due to C6 aldehydes and alcohols. This paper gives a fairly good review of what happens when grass decomposes.

http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/cut_grass_pollution.pdf (http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/cut_grass_pollution.pdf)

Interesting conclusion:

http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/cut_grass_pollution.pdf
Quote
Emissions of VOCs from grasses, including cut grass,
may contribute significantly to urban air pollution. The
biological mechanisms driving these emissions are
partially understood. The few measurements available
indicate that these emissions may be of the order of one
fifth to one third of the VOC emissions in an urban
airshed averaged over a year and the growing season,
respectively. Since the photochemical reactivities of the
VOC emissions from grass mowing are high, there is a
need to reliably quantify these emissions if urban
inventories and smog forecasts are to be accurate.

In other words, even though we may like the smell of freshly cut grass, these guys seem think it is bad for us, and we should not be doing it.
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: neilep on 29/04/2008 20:38:40
Well it might not smell to great to some people, but I haven't came across a person that don't think to smells bad even if they don't like it.

SO why is that


Forget the above Ryan.

We all know it's down to the 'Newly-Mown-Grass-Fairies' that follow lawn mowers around. They feed on the newly mowed lawn and fart lawn-gas !..This is the smell that is loved so much by ewe and I.......I mean...c'mon....it's obvious isn't it ?



Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: benep on 29/04/2008 22:05:12
Welp, I sorry Ha. thanks for you input guys:)
no prob but can someone please tell me whwats so annoying aobut caps??? i dotn get it
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: rosalind dna on 29/04/2008 22:06:28
Welp, I sorry Ha. thanks for you input guys:)
no prob but can someone please tell me whwats so annoying aobut caps??? i dotn get it
Benep because for some people by using only Caps could be seen as "shouting"
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: neilep on 29/04/2008 22:09:49
Welp, I sorry Ha. thanks for you input guys:)
no prob but can someone please tell me whwats so annoying aobut caps??? i dotn get it
Benep because for some people by using only Caps could be seen as "shouting"

Yep, Benep...Rosalind is correct.

In ' forum land '...and in ' email land' and other online discussion type stuff...CAPITALS is deemed to be the typing equivalent to someone SHOUTING !
Title: Why does fresh cut grass smell so good?
Post by: Mike B on 24/11/2009 02:50:26
I noticed that certian types of grass smell really good when cut but others smell horrible when cut. I use to cut my uncles lawn and he has Floratam St. Augustine grass because he lives in Florida. His lawn smelled soooo good when I cut it. The I drove up to a red light and a man was mowing his lawn but it smelled HORRIBLE and it made me almost nauseous. What causes the diffrence in smells? Is it the type of grass? How come some grass smells good and some smells bad?