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I've observed this since I've been on Chemistry SE and I've realize that even though some questions are really good but still they are not answered. People on Chemistry SE mark them "related" but sometimes the question that is being asked has no relation to the "related" question and nobody answers them. Also, they don't get any upvotes or much comments so that the question is in the active tab and eventually the question gets lost.

Why does it happen so?

When somebody asks a question on SE, he/she expects to get an answer. What is the point on asking a question when it gets lost in the stack.

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    $\begingroup$ It would've been soooo ironic if this question went unanswered. Mart is a fun spoiler. :/ $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Jan 18, 2016 at 16:49
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    $\begingroup$ @Ϻ.Λ.Ʀ. I had already thought of that when I was typing this question. But not just would have been ironic, it'd have been an example of what I'm talking about. $\endgroup$
    – Quark
    Jan 18, 2016 at 17:13
  • $\begingroup$ Use Cunningham's Law and ask the wrong question if you want attention. $\endgroup$
    – CCovey
    Jan 23, 2016 at 0:19

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Everybody here volunteers her or his own time. This site comes without guarantees. Everybody who uses it should bear in mind that a question might not be answered.

Sometimes a question is intriguing enough that you offer a very comprehensive answer, because you like to research it yourself.

Sometimes you simply know the answer and can write it up in a short amount of time.

Questions, where we have not the right experts in the community or that are itself not intriguing for the experts to step out of their comfort zone may remain unanswered.

There are easy ways of making a question more attractive.

Start by giving it a comprehensive title. Vague titles that have buzzwords in them are very likely to be ignored.

Start researching basic principles and include them into the post. Explain why the questions that are linked in the comments don't answer your question.

Be specific. Be patient.

A question that gets not many votes might be just too complicated. It's an indicator that you might want to work on it again, be more specific.

If all edits fail, you can always set a bounty to get a larger audience.

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    $\begingroup$ Sometimes I answer a question in comments if I don't feel like writing a proper, comprehensive answer, but is OK with short answer or point towards a specific source with a proper answer. $\endgroup$
    – permeakra
    Jan 18, 2016 at 9:24
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I haven't been active for very long, just a few months, but I'd like to reinforce some of Martin's points.

Sometimes a question is intriguing enough that you offer a very comprehensive answer, because you like to research it yourself.

My answers have been few, because I prefer to do this; the question is close to my research or I find it interesting, and I think I can give a reference-quality answer or offer some insight that others might not have, even though there may be some gaps in my knowledge. So in a sense it's a selfish reason, because doing research for the comprehensive answer helps reinforce my own understanding of the topic. For questions that are slightly less close or less niche, I know others are quicker to respond and more complete in their answer, so I'll let it pass.

Questions, where we have not the right experts in the community or that are itself not intriguing for the experts to step out of their comfort zone may remain unanswered.

I've only asked two questions on Chemistry.SE, and neither have gotten an answer, so I just have to accept that.

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