chemistry question #2896

Cesar, a 20 year old male from kalookan asks on September 1, 2005,

Q:

What are the components of a fever strip and the chemical principles behind it?
viewed 15227 times

the answer

Barry Shell answered on October 7, 2005, A:

The chemical inside the fever strip, or any other temperature sensitive flat colour-changing strip is a kind of cholesterol crystal compound that is a liquid crystal. The scientist who explained this phenomenon, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, won the 1991 Nobel Prize for his discovery.

This is explained very well at the following sites:

Paul Doherty's Scientific Explorations and Explanations website.

Nobel Prize website.

Add to or comment on this answer using the form below.
(required)
(required if you would like a response)
Note: All submissions are moderated prior to posting.
If you found this answer useful, please consider
making a small donation to science.ca.