FUNNY STUFF 20 Chemistry Jokes Every Science Nerd Will Appreciate Whether you're a chemistry expert or just have a vague memory of your high school class, you're sure to get a laugh from our favorite chemistry jokes. ( courtecy;-reader's digest )

What should you do if no one laughs at your chemistry jokes?

Keep telling them until you get a reaction.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMGet it?! Like a chemical reaction. Chemistry jokes are funny.

I tried writing jokes about the periodic table...

...but I realized I wasn't quite in my element.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM, SHUTTERSTOCKThe periodic table's full name, of course, is the Periodic Table of the Elements. Need a refresher on your chemistry? This periodic table shows how we use every element in our lives.

Did you hear the one about cobalt, radon, and yttrium?

It was CoRnY.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM, SHUTTERSTOCKAnother chemical symbol-based chemistry joke: cobalt (Co), radon (Rn), and yttrium (Y—yes, it's a real element).

Want to hear a joke about sodium, bromine, and oxygen?

NaBrO.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM, SHUTTERSTOCKSure enough, the chemical symbols of sodium (Na), bromine (Br), and oxygen (O) combine to form a casual way to tell someone you're not interested in hearing a joke.

Did you hear about oxygen's date with potassium?

It went OK.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM, SHUTTERSTOCK

Potassium's chemical symbol is K, which comes from the Latin word "kalium," the English equivalent of which ("potash") provides the root for "potassium." (Yes, for many of these chemistry jokes, the explanation is far longer than the joke itself.) Here are some more short jokes anyone can easily remember.

If H2O is water and H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, what is H2O4?

Drinking, bathing, and lots of other daily activities.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM

Get it? What's it 4?

Why do chemists find working with ammonia easy?

Because it's pretty basic stuff.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM

Ammonia is a base, a chemical that ranks higher than 7 on the pH scale. Chemicals on the scale can be acidic, neutral, or "basic."

Someone threw sodium chloride at me.

I yelled, "That's a salt!"MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM

You're correct. Sodium chloride is indeed the scientific name for salt. Check out some more of our all-time favorite bad puns.

How did the hipster chemist burn his hand?

He picked up his beaker before it was cool.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM

Lab safety is important, even for hipsters.

What's a chemist's favorite type of dog?

A Laboratory retriever.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM

Chemists sure love their Labs. Here are some more hilarious dog puns for the canine lover.

What's Iron Man's favorite amusement park ride?

The ferrous wheel.MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COM, SHUTTERSTOCK

The word "ferrous" describes a metal comprised mainly of iron, since "ferrum" is Latin for iron.

What's the difference between chemistry jokes and physics jokes?

Chemistry jokes can be funny periodically, but physics jokes have more potential.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMThis one riffs off of the alternate meanings of a major concept from each science: the periodic table and potential energy.

Why did the attacking army use acid?

To neutralize the enemy's base.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMAcidic and basic chemicals on the pH scale can cancel each other out. Check out some more of our favorite funny jokes about the military.

What did the thermometer say to the measuring cylinder?

"You may be graduated, but I have several degrees."

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMGraduated cylinders are often used in science labs to measure chemicals. In this context, "graduated" means "marked with divisions or units of measurement." And, of course, the word "degrees" has multiple meanings too.

What is Cole's Law?

Thinly sliced cabbage.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMThere's no real scientific law called Cole's Law. This one mixes chemistry jokes with good ol' food puns. Check out some more delightfully corny food puns here.

Why did the bear dissolve in water?

It was a polar bear.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMMolecules that are "polar" have nothing to do with the Arctic. Instead, they have an unequal distribution of electrons. Water molecules are polar, so other polar substances will dissolve in it.

I dare you to lower your body temperature to absolute zero.

I promise you'll be 0K.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMAbsolute zero, the coldest temperature theoretically possible, is equal to minus 273.15 degrees Celsius and zero degrees Kelvin (written out as 0K). These are the crazy, often funny things that happen when scientists experiment on themselves.

I would tell another chemistry joke...

...but all the good ones Argon.

MATTHEW COHEN/RD.COMArgon is element number 18 on the periodic table. Keep the nerdiness going with some more of our favorite science jokes.