Why do onions make your eyes burn when you chop them?!


Question: It has a natural gas in it that is acidic so your eyes tear or burn. The gas has to be frozen to prevent this so thats why before I cut onions I put them in the freezer for an hour.


Answers: It has a natural gas in it that is acidic so your eyes tear or burn. The gas has to be frozen to prevent this so thats why before I cut onions I put them in the freezer for an hour.

cuz they smell funny

the ph..
acidity

the smeel i think

it is becouse of all the juice in the onions that make you cry

there is an acidic thing that makes the air "thin and dry" causeing irritation

the odor is very strong and messes with the nervs in your eyes. to stop it, wear safety goggles! it really works!!!

thats something ive always wanted to know!

who knows? they just do

bcoz they are smelly

because they feel like it.
\

because their smell is so strong it makes your eyes burn.

because they smell.? just a good guess.

Because of the stuff in them, and the smell. The smell makes your eyes water.

they are acidic

Because the acidity of the onions rises and gets in your eyes, thus causing your eyes to water.

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears.

not sure but u can chew gum while cutting an onion to stop the tears

because they make something in ur brain very sad and then u cry and the tears burn ur eyes like FIRE

I have luck if i refrigerate them for 15 min before chopping them.

They have a particular acid in them that gets released in vapors when they're cut. Its actually kind of good to cry though. It cleanses the eyes.

I wear my clear colored swim goggles!!! no more burning eyes...its the onions fumes....

onions let out a gas when cut so you cry to protect your eyes from it.

Enzymes...

i been wanting to know that i think its the fumes that come out I'm not sure sorry i couldn't help if u find out the answer please tell me...

chemical breakdown, which causes a chemical reaction to occur.

forgot why but i know this...........inhale only through your mouth when cutting and you won't shed one single tear..........only if you inhale through your nose will you tear............strange. But i've tried it and i assure you it works!

if you wet a wooden spoon and put the dry end in ur mouth ur eyes wont sting :) it works for me :)

when cutting, stand straight and close your eyes small while cutting. My mother's trick

thats a good question, i think its because of the Enzymes or somehtign. Here's a tip b4 you start cutting it rince it with cold water. works for me every time... when the skin is off ofcourse

As onions are sliced, cells are broken, allowing enzymes called alliinases to break down amino acid sulphoxides and generate sulphenic acids. Sulphenic acids are unstable and spontaneously rearrange into a volatile gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. The gas diffuses through the air and eventually reaches the eye, where it reacts with the water to form a diluted solution of sulphuric acid. This acid irritates the nerve endings in the eye, making them sting. Tear glands produce tears to dilute and flush out the irritant.[10]

Supplying ample water to the reaction prevents the gas from reaching the eyes. Eye irritation can, therefore, be avoided by cutting onions under running water or submerged in a basin of water. Rinsing the onion and leaving it wet while chopping may also be effective. Another way to avoid irritation is by not cutting off the root of the onion, or by doing it last, as the root of the onion has a higher concentration of enzymes.[11]. Using a sharp blade to chop onions will limit the cell damage and the release of enzymes that drive the irritation response. (Having a sharp knife and keeping the root of a halved onion on until the end also reduces the risk of cutting yourself if your knife slips). Chilling or freezing onions prevents the enzymes from activating, limiting the amount of gas generated. Having a fire, such as a candle or a burner, will help as the heat and flames will draw in the onion gas, burn it, and then send it up with the rest of the flame exhaust[citation needed]. In the heat, the chemical changes such that it no longer irritates the eyes[citation needed]. Contact lenses prevent the irritation from occurring. The volume of sulfenic acids released, and the irritation effect, differs among Allium species.





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