Gas chromatography-olfactometry
Have you ever smelled something really yummy and wondered what makes it smell so good? Scientists also wonder the same thing! That's why they use a special machine called gas chromatography-olfactometry to figure out what smells make up different things.
First, they take a small sample of what they want to analyze, like food or perfume. Then, they put the sample into a special machine that separates all of the different smells in the sample, kind of like sorting different shaped Lego blocks.
Next, the smells are sent to a special tube that has a person (yes, a person!) on the other end. This person is called an olfactometer. They sniff each smell and say what it smells like, such as "that smells like vanilla" or "that smells like a flower".
The scientists record which smells the olfactometer detects and how strong each smell is. This helps them figure out what specific smells make up the sample.
Overall, gas chromatography-olfactometry helps scientists discover what smells make up different things, which can help them make better perfumes, food, and even cleaning products!
First, they take a small sample of what they want to analyze, like food or perfume. Then, they put the sample into a special machine that separates all of the different smells in the sample, kind of like sorting different shaped Lego blocks.
Next, the smells are sent to a special tube that has a person (yes, a person!) on the other end. This person is called an olfactometer. They sniff each smell and say what it smells like, such as "that smells like vanilla" or "that smells like a flower".
The scientists record which smells the olfactometer detects and how strong each smell is. This helps them figure out what specific smells make up the sample.
Overall, gas chromatography-olfactometry helps scientists discover what smells make up different things, which can help them make better perfumes, food, and even cleaning products!