INTRODUCTION
TO CHEMISTRY
PART 1
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
OBJECTIVES
When you complete this presentation, you will be able to
• Identify the five traditional areas of study in chemistry
• Relate pure chemistry to applied chemistry
• Identify reasons to study chemistry
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
• In the fall, the leaves in the eastern part of the US turn
bright colors.
• These colors are the result of bright pigments produced
by complex chemical processes.
• The pigments are an example of matter.
• Just like the leaves, the trees, and you.
• Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
• Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter and
the changes that matter undergoes.
• Here are some of the questions we can ask about the
composition of matter.
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What is matter made of?
How is it put together?
What are its properties?
• Here are some of the questions we can ask about the
changes that matter undergoes.
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How does one kind of matter become another kind of
matter?
How can we change one kind of matter to another kind?
What conditions give us the best change?
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
• The scope of chemistry is huge.
• We can study the chemistry of
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nanotubes
bacteria
plastics
planets and moons
stars
AREAS OF STUDY
• There are five traditional areas of study in chemistry.
• Organic chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Let’s look a little more closely at each area of study.
AREAS OF STUDY
• Organic chemistry
• This is what most people think of when they think of
“chemistry.”
• This is the study of most carbon compounds.
• We also look at hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen with the
carbon.
• Plastics, petroleum compounds and pharmaceuticals are
organic compounds.
AREAS OF STUDY
• Inorganic chemistry
• This is the chemistry of all non-organic compounds.
• Inorganic compounds include such things as common
salts, metals, and semiconductors.
AREAS OF STUDY
• Biochemistry
• This is the study of the chemistry of living organisms.
• Biochemists look at DNA, RNA, proteins, and other
chemicals produced by cells and viruses.
AREAS OF STUDY
• Analytical chemistry
• This is the identification of the components of matter.
• This is also where instruments and techniques are
developed to identify matter.
• This is the area of chemistry that is shown in the TV show
CSI or NCIS.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) developed from
analytical techniques.
AREAS OF STUDY
• Physical chemistry
• This is the study of the properties and changes of matter.
• It is also the study of the relationship of energy to the
properties of matter.
• Physical chemists can tell the speed of a reaction and how
much energy is used or released by the reaction.
AREAS OF STUDY
• None of these branches is isolated from the other
branches.
• Chemists within one branch work with others to reach the
desired goal.
• Most chemical companies and universities hire chemists
with expertise in each of these areas.
• They collaborate in their research to push out the
boundaries of chemistry.
PURE AND APPLIED
CHEMISTRY
• Research in chemistry can usually be divided into two
categories.
• Pure research
• Applied research
PURE AND APPLIED
CHEMISTRY
• Pure research is research for its own sake.
• The chemist finds a problem interesting and she starts
looking into it.
• There is no expectation that there will be any immediate
use for the results of the research.
• For example, she may want to explore new methods of
synthesizing certain organophosphorous compounds.
• The results of the research might be useful for producing
compounds that can remove radioactive contaminants
from nuclear power waste water.
• But, that is not why she is doing the research.
PURE AND APPLIED
CHEMISTRY
• Applied research is research to solve a particular problem.
• Again, the chemist finds a problem interesting and she
starts looking into it.
• However, in this case, she is looking toward a practical
goal or application.
• For example, she may want to synthesize a new headache
drug.
• The results of the research could very easily be
commercialized by her employer.
PURE AND APPLIED
CHEMISTRY
• In most cases, pure research is necessary before applied
research can be done.
• We look at pure research as the foundation that is used to
support applied research.
• The applied researcher uses the techniques discovered by
pure researchers.
• Without a large catalog of pure research, there will be only
limited success in applied research.
• Pure research is supported by both the government and
industry.
PURE AND APPLIED
CHEMISTRY
• The development of applied research into a useful product
is called technology.
• Technology is the means by which a society provides its
members with those things that are needed and desired.
• In any technology, scientific knowledge is used in ways
that can benefit or harm people or the environment.
• Debates about how to use scientific knowledge are usually
debates about the risks and benefits of technology.
WHY STUDY
CHEMISTRY?
• There are many reasons to study chemistry.
• Explaining the Natural world.
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Chemistry is one of the sciences that most of us were
naturally curious about as a child.
We see chemistry in a wide variety of applications in the
world today.
• The browning of apples when they are peeled
• The change in the texture of eggs when they are
boiled or scrambled
• The expansion of water when it freezes
• The reason behind sugar dissolving faster in hot
liquids than in cold liquids
WHY STUDY
CHEMISTRY?
• There are many reasons to study chemistry.
• Preparing for a career
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Chemistry is a requirement (or at least useful) for many
careers.
How might a knowledge of chemistry be useful for these
professions?
• Medical professionals
• Culinary arts
• Engineering
• Fire fighting
• Visual artist
WHY STUDY
CHEMISTRY?
• There are many reasons to study chemistry.
• Being an informed citizen
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Science and technology play an increasingly important
role in our society.
Only informed citizens can be expected to be able to make
the hard decisions about some of these issues.
• Funding additional scientific research
• Finding a site for a new chemical plant
• Deciding about clean air and water laws