The Science of Life Lecture Series

Hello internet, and welcome to the General Chemistry Lecture Series from The Science of Life.  This session will cover the basic classifications of matter from a chemical stand-point.  After all, the only way to identify a substance is through the classifications of matter, whether the classification is obvious is obvious or not.  After all, the difference in the water in Flint, Michigan before and after the switch of water sources as well as between Flint water and Detroit water after the switch was obvious, and that obviousness came from the differences in the classifications of the matter coming out of the faucets. Obvious differences in classifications are obvious. There are two principle classification types; physical (phase, temperature, density, for example) and chemical composition (what atoms are present in what arrangement).  I'm going to start off with the physical classifications. Phase (State) The phase of something is merely whether it is a...

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 H 2 O which distinguished it from Hydrogen Peroxide (which has a composition of H 2 O 2 ), and the fact that water is tasteless which distinguishes it from hospital coffee.  These are all examples of properties, but i...

Hello internet, and welcome to the introduction to Chapter 1 of General Chemistry.  This chapter is going to set you up for success in chemistry in general, as it will be well used in all chemistry courses.  Most of this chapter will also be used in all of science, but there will be parts which are chem-centric. Chemistry is the study of the materials of the universe and the changes which those materials undergo.  One of the joys of chemistry is seeing how the principles of chemistry applies to all aspects of everyday life, from cooking and burning of gasoline (petrol for my European readers) on the individual level to the development of medications and the growing of crops on the far-reaching end. This first chapter lays down the foundation required for success in any science in general and chemistry in particular.  This includes fundamentals of chemistry, matter, and scientific measurements.  Keep in mind that the information in this lecture series ...