WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
Chapter 1
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
• Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space
• Do you have to see something for it to qualify as matter? Why or why
not?
• Chemistry: study of the composition of matter and the changes
that matter undergoes
• Because living and nonliving things are made of matter, chemistry
affects all aspects of life and most natural events
• Therefore chemistry=life!
AREAS OF STUDY
• The scope of chemistry is vast, 5 areas to focus on:
• Organic chemistry: study of chemicals containing carbon
• Inorganic chemistry: study of chemicals that generally do not
contain carbon
• Biochemistry: study of processes that take place in an organism
• Analytical chemistry: study that focuses on the composition of
matter
• Physical chemistry: deals with mechanisms, rates, and energy
transfer that occurs when matter undergoes a change
• Pg 8 lists examples of each branch. List these examples in your
notes (left side)
PURE AND APPLIED CHEM
• Pure chemistry: pursuit of knowledge for its own sake (no
practical use to knowledge gained)
• Applied chemistry: research that is directed towards a
practical goal
• Pure research can lead directly to an application, but an
application can exist before research is done to explain how
it works
ASPIRIN “FUN” FACT
• In the late 1840’s, Dr. Lawrence Craven observed that gum
containing aspirin, which was used to relieve pain after the
removal of tonsils, caused excessive bleeding in children. He
hypothesized that aspirin prevented the blood from clotting,
and began prescribing it to prevent heart attacks.
• In 1985, the FDA approved aspirin for patients who had
suffered a heart attack.
• In 1996, the FDA proposed using aspirin during a suspected
attack.
• In 1997, an advisory committee recommended daily low doses
for people at high risk of heart attack
WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY?
• Chemistry can be useful in explaining the natural world,
preparing people for career opportunities, and producing
informed citizens.
• Look on pg 10-11 for reasons why
• What impact do chemists have on
materials, energy, medicine, agriculture,
the environment, and the study of the
universe?
THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST
• 1928 Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria did not grow
around a yellow green mold. He assumed that the mold
produced a chemical that killed the bacteria. This mold
was penicillin
• “Chemistry” comes from “alchemy.” Long before
chemists, there were alchemists that studied matter, and
developed techniques for working with chemicals.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
• A logical, systematic approach for the solution to a
problem
• Condensed approach to the scientific method include
making observations, testing hypotheses, and developing
theories.
MAKING OBSERVATIONS
• Use your 5 senses to obtain information
• An observation leads to a question.
• What are some observations you can make about this
classroom?
INFERENCE
• From the observations, we can make inferences
• These answer questions based on the observations.
• Example:
• Observation: The dog is barking
• Inference: There is an intruder
• What are other possible inferences for this observation
TESTING HYPOTHESES
• A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an observation
• An experiment is done to test the hypothesis.
• When you design experiments, you deal with variables, or
factors that change
• Variables that change during an experiment is the
manipulated variable, or independent variable
• The variable that is observed during an experiment is the
responding variable, or dependent variable
• Control group: group with a placebo
DEVELOPING THEORIES
• A theory is a well tested explanation for a broad set of
observations.
• Theories may not be able to be proven, but that does not
make them unreliable.
• What are some examples of theories you can think of?
SCIENTIFIC LAWS
• A scientific law is a concise statement that summarizes the
results of many observations and experiments.
• What are some laws you can think of?
COMMUNICATION AND
COLLABORATION
• When scientists collaborate and communicate
effectively, they increase the likelihood of
successful outcomes.