Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction

We can learn something scientifically interesting about literally everything around us by examining it in a powder diffractometer. Comparing a macroscopic understanding of a material with the atomic-scale description proves to be a good way of generating excitement about our science among young peop...

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Main Author: James Kaduk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIP Publishing LLC and ACA 2025-03-01
Series:Structural Dynamics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/4.0000316
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author James Kaduk
author_facet James Kaduk
author_sort James Kaduk
collection DOAJ
description We can learn something scientifically interesting about literally everything around us by examining it in a powder diffractometer. Comparing a macroscopic understanding of a material with the atomic-scale description proves to be a good way of generating excitement about our science among young people and the general public. I plan to tell stories (case studies) about what can be learned by examining several classes of everyday materials: rocks (including slate and other flooring), water solids, rust and crud (including snow dirt), teeth and fillings, food (sugar, chocolate sandwich cookies, peanut butter), medications (pain relief, decongestant, colonoscopy prep, pharmaceuticals), wood, polymers, and perhaps others.
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spelling doaj-art-3e57258231f342fb8123d7a6366d269b2025-08-20T01:48:15ZengAIP Publishing LLC and ACAStructural Dynamics2329-77782025-03-01122A7A710.1063/4.0000316Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder DiffractionJames Kaduk0North Central College, Naperville, IL, USAWe can learn something scientifically interesting about literally everything around us by examining it in a powder diffractometer. Comparing a macroscopic understanding of a material with the atomic-scale description proves to be a good way of generating excitement about our science among young people and the general public. I plan to tell stories (case studies) about what can be learned by examining several classes of everyday materials: rocks (including slate and other flooring), water solids, rust and crud (including snow dirt), teeth and fillings, food (sugar, chocolate sandwich cookies, peanut butter), medications (pain relief, decongestant, colonoscopy prep, pharmaceuticals), wood, polymers, and perhaps others.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/4.0000316
spellingShingle James Kaduk
Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
Structural Dynamics
title Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
title_full Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
title_fullStr Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
title_full_unstemmed Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
title_short Everything’s a Sample: Characterizing Everyday Materials using X-ray Powder Diffraction
title_sort everything s a sample characterizing everyday materials using x ray powder diffraction
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/4.0000316
work_keys_str_mv AT jameskaduk everythingsasamplecharacterizingeverydaymaterialsusingxraypowderdiffraction