Chapter 1
Chem I
Introduction to Chemistry
1.1
What is Chemistry?
- Matter is the general term for materials or “stuff”. It is anything
that has mass and occupies space
- Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter and the
changes that matter undergoes. Affects all aspects of life and most
natural events.
o Five traditional areas of study:
- Organic chemistry is the study of all chemicals
containing carbon
- Inorganic chemistry is the study of chemicals that in
general do not contain carbon
- Biochemistry is the study of processes taking place in
living organisms
- Analytical chemistry is the study that focuses on
composition of matter
- Physical chemistry deals with the mechanism, rate, and
energy transfer that occurs when matter undergoes
change
- Pure and applied chemistry
o Pure chemistry is pursuit of knowledge for its own sake
o Applied chemistry is research directed to a practical goal or
application
- Pure research can lead directly to an application, but an
application can exist before research is done to explain
how it works, i.e., nylon and aspirin.
- People study chemistry to explain the natural world, to prepare
for career opportunities, and to produce informed citizens
1.2
Chemistry Far and Wide
- Materials are designed to fit specific needs
o Macroscopic- objects are large enough to see with the
unaided eye
o Microscopic- objects can only be seen under magnification
- Energy demands increase so chemists find ways to conserve energy
(use of insulation), produce energy (fuels from plants or recycled
oils), and store energy (rechargeable batteries)
- Biochemists supply medicines (drugs), materials (replacement
body parts), and technology (DNA studies) for doctors to use to
treat patients
- Chemists help to develop more productive crops (amount of edible
food grown in a given unit of land) and safer, more effective ways
to protect crops (more specific chemicals to treat problems)
- Chemists help identify pollutants (materials found in air, water, or
soil that is harmful to humans or other organisms) and prevent
pollution
- Chemists study the universe by gathering data and analyzing
matter brought back to Earth
1.3
Thinking Like a Scientist
- Chemistry comes from alchemy, which developed tools and
techniques for working with chemicals
o Mystical alchemists searched for a way to turn other metals
into gold
- Antoine Lavoisier helped transform chemistry from a science of
observation to a science of measurement; “Father of Modern
Chemistry”
o Made careful measurements
o Settled debate about how materials burned
- Scientific method is a logical, systematic approach to solving a
scientific problem
- Steps include:
 Making observations using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell,
hearing)
 Testing hypotheses ( hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an
observation: an “educated guess”) by doing
experiments(procedures used to test a hypothesis)
o Manipulated or independent variable is changed during
the experiment
o Responding or dependant variable is what is observed to
have changed
o Results of the experiment must be reproducible
- Develop a theory or well-tested explanation for a broad set of
Observations
-Theory can be changed at some future point to explain new
observations or experimental results
-scientific laws can be proposed and accepted as a concise
statement that summarizes the results of observations and
experiments
- Scientist work together collaborate and communicate their
Findings
1.4) Problem solving in Chemistry
Effective problem solving involves developing a plan and then
Implementing that plan
Measurement is an important part of Chemistry, so solving number
Problems follow three steps
-Analyze the problem, identifying what is know and what is
Unknown (or needs to be solved), then develop a plan to get
there
-perform calculations
-evaluate the answer
Solving conceptual Problems
Nonnumeric problems don’t involve calculations. Known’s have
to be identified and a plan developed for getting to the
unknown.
-Analyze and identify the relevant concepts
-Solve the problem by applying concepts to the situation