General Chemistry Section 1.1: The Study of Chemistry
Hello internet and welcome to the General Chemistry Lecture Series from the Science of Life. Today, I will cover the study of chemistry, which is the study of the properties, behaviors, and interactions of matter, which is the physical material of the universe. A property, from a chemistry point of view, is any characteristic which helps us to distinguish a substance from other substances. Examples include the fact that water is liquid distinguished it from ice (a solid), the fact that water is clear distinguishes it from random non-Lemon-Lime soda (a non-clear liquid), the fact that water has a density of 1 kilogram per liter which distinguishes it from sulfuric acid (which has a density of 1.84 kg per liter), the fact that water has a chemical composition of H2O which distinguished it from Hydrogen Peroxide (which has a composition of H2O2), and the fact that water is tasteless which distinguishes it from hospital coffee. These are all examples of properties, but it is not an exhaustive list.
Back in the day, before any of us alive today (and yes, including the oldest person alive) had grand-parents who were a glimmer in their parents eyes, the matter around us was described as a combination of four elements, Earth, Water Fire, and Air. Through tedious experiment, observation, and double checking by men and women smarter than most people alive today (myself included) that these are not the actual elements. The actual elements can be found on the Periodic Table of the Elements. There are 92 naturally occurring elements and 26 synthesized elements to make up the 118 elements currently on the table make up all of the material in the known universe.
These elements are comprised of their own, unique atoms, which are the building blocks of all matter. These atoms can be combined to form molecules, which are the accumulation of at least two (two or more) atoms. Even exceedingly small changes in the composition of any form of matter can yield drastically different properties of that matter. For example, when sodium metal is placed in your mouth it will react with the water in your mouth to cause an explosion in your mouth. When chlorine gas is breathed into your lungs, it reacts with the material in your lungs so that liquid acid starts developing in your lungs, and is potentially fatal. When sodium and chlorine are combined so that the composition is Na(+)Cl(-), we have a safe (and vital in moderation) substance commonly called table salt, just from the transfer of one electron from Sodium to Chlorine to form charged instead of neutral elements.
Everything which involves changes in materials in our every day lives -- from our bodies converting food to nutrients, energy, and waste to the baking of a cake to convert it from a wet goop to a tasty desert -- deals with the world of atoms and molecules. Therefor, we will be thinking from two perspectives; the submicroscopic atomic and molecular scale (the molecular changes) and the macroscopic scale (normal-sized stuff) of the changes we can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste which the submicroscopic changes produce.
If you're a science major, but your major is not chemistry, you're probably wondering why chemistry is required in your degree program. As you will learn later in your career, chemistry is vital to make research in your field exceedingly more efficient. Working with denaturing proteins is a case of changing the chemical environment of the protein in order to change its tertiary structure to better be able to understand better its primary and secondary structures (which is, in and of itself, a chemical process). Understanding chemistry helps understand why some soils preserve human remains better than other soils. Chemistry also helps understand better how to clean the environment of toxins and poisons such as heavy metals. To mix my metaphors a little bit, this is merely the skin of the tip of the iceberg of why chemistry is necessary for research.
If your major is not a science, then you're probably even more confused as to why chemistry is on the list of sciences you may choose for your science class list. In general, science literacy is a good thing when it comes to understanding some political issues which may affect your daily life. When the FDA or EPA says that fluorine, lead, or mercury in your water cannot exceed a certain ppb, or that a substance is a possible carcinogen after a minimum dose, it would be a good idea to know what these numbers actually mean. It's also a good to know why those values are so low. When we demand the safe reduction of chemical weapons, it would be helpful if we could assist in bringing up concrete ideas on how to do so, even if it's as basic as how to store them until safe disarmament can be done. It's also a good idea to have some knowledge as to how and why medications work to cure or prevent disease and dull or get rid of symptoms.
With this knowledge, we're ready to continue into the course knowing that chemistry affects our daily lives. Until next time, stay curious.
To help get this lecture series come out with higher frequency, please donate to The Science of Life. This helps keep the information current and allows me to dedicate more time to this project instead of obtaining money through external means.
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| Piss water, the lot of it! |
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| The Ancient Periodic Table |
Everything which involves changes in materials in our every day lives -- from our bodies converting food to nutrients, energy, and waste to the baking of a cake to convert it from a wet goop to a tasty desert -- deals with the world of atoms and molecules. Therefor, we will be thinking from two perspectives; the submicroscopic atomic and molecular scale (the molecular changes) and the macroscopic scale (normal-sized stuff) of the changes we can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste which the submicroscopic changes produce.
If you're a science major, but your major is not chemistry, you're probably wondering why chemistry is required in your degree program. As you will learn later in your career, chemistry is vital to make research in your field exceedingly more efficient. Working with denaturing proteins is a case of changing the chemical environment of the protein in order to change its tertiary structure to better be able to understand better its primary and secondary structures (which is, in and of itself, a chemical process). Understanding chemistry helps understand why some soils preserve human remains better than other soils. Chemistry also helps understand better how to clean the environment of toxins and poisons such as heavy metals. To mix my metaphors a little bit, this is merely the skin of the tip of the iceberg of why chemistry is necessary for research.
If your major is not a science, then you're probably even more confused as to why chemistry is on the list of sciences you may choose for your science class list. In general, science literacy is a good thing when it comes to understanding some political issues which may affect your daily life. When the FDA or EPA says that fluorine, lead, or mercury in your water cannot exceed a certain ppb, or that a substance is a possible carcinogen after a minimum dose, it would be a good idea to know what these numbers actually mean. It's also a good to know why those values are so low. When we demand the safe reduction of chemical weapons, it would be helpful if we could assist in bringing up concrete ideas on how to do so, even if it's as basic as how to store them until safe disarmament can be done. It's also a good idea to have some knowledge as to how and why medications work to cure or prevent disease and dull or get rid of symptoms.
With this knowledge, we're ready to continue into the course knowing that chemistry affects our daily lives. Until next time, stay curious.
To help get this lecture series come out with higher frequency, please donate to The Science of Life. This helps keep the information current and allows me to dedicate more time to this project instead of obtaining money through external means.
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