What you need
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard 250 ml vegetable oil
OIL and water famously don’t play well together. Water is a polar molecule, with a negative charge concentrated around the oxygen atom and a positive charge at the two hydrogen atoms. This means that water molecules attract each other, the hydrogen atoms forming bonds with the oxygen atoms of nearby molecules. Oil, on the other hand, is made from non-polar molecules, which aren’t attracted by the water molecules, so it is hard for them to mingle.
If you shake oil and…
Advertisem*nt
Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.
To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers
No commitment, cancel anytime*
Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.
*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.
Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)
or
Existing subscribers
Advertisem*nt
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Why herbs evolved to smell and taste so delicious
News
Subscriber-only
Chemistry
The science behind making perfect puff pastry
Regulars
Subscriber-only
Chemistry
How science can help you whip up perfect egg whites for your bakes
Regulars
Subscriber-only
Chemistry
How science can help you bake a delicious vegan carrot cake
Regulars
Subscriber-only
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
We finally know why some people seem immune to catching covid-19
2
Pluto and the largest moon of Neptune might be siblings
3
How dodo de-extinction is helping rescue the extraordinary pink pigeon
4
Is an old NASA probe about to redraw the frontier of the solar system?
5
Why herbs evolved to smell and taste so delicious
6
Rare corpse flower that stinks of rotting flesh blooms at Kew Gardens
7
Driverless cars are mostly safer than humans – but worse at turns
8
New book explores how games shape the world – for better or for worse
9
Long covid linked to signs of ongoing inflammatory responses in blood
10
Ukraine is using AI to manage the removal of Russian landmines
Advertisem*nt
