Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: sandy lewand on 24/12/2008 16:02:20
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sandy lewand asked the Naked Scientists:
I burned semi sweet chocolate in the microvave and the steam discolored my hands/fingers a burnt orange why is this and will it go away?
What do you think?
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I'm not sure how well this will work, but once I got some tree sap on my fingers and it refused to wash off. I then spit on my fingers. I then washed them again and it finally washed off. It's possible that the enzymes in the saliva helped break down the sap's chemical components and made it easier to wash off. If it really is chocolate on your hands, maybe some spit could help break that down, too.
I don't know, just a suggestion.
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I'm not too sure if this is the correct explanation, but here goes...
The steam may actually contain vapours of the chemicals that give chocolate it's brown colour. When it came into contact with your skin, it oxidized or reacted in some way with the skin surface resulting in the orange pigmentation which won't come off, since it's not a separate layer. In which case, it should come off after a while.
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sandy lewand asked the Naked Scientists:
I burned semi sweet chocolate in the microvave and the steam discolored my hands/fingers a burnt orange why is this and will it go away?
What do you think?
You could scrape some of your skin off as well.. Mind you just a bit, cos too much and it will reveal the red layer under and it will sting!
Try sand paper [;D]
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wash in lemon juice if that doesn'( work soak hands in two bowls of peroxide then in a good dishsoap to remove oils etc.. use cold water first no soap then do the others