INTRODUCTION OF CHEMISTRY

WHAT IS CHEMISTRY

Definition and its Importance

People in the industrialized nations have a higher standard of living than the human race has ever known. More nutritious food, better health, better life and much more of this is due to chemistry. Chemistry enables us to design all sorts of materials, drugs to fight disease, pesticides to protect our health and fertilizers to grow our crops for abundant food, fuels for transportation, fibres to provide comfort and variety in clothes and a lot of other things. Chemistry also helps us to understand the nature of our environment and about ourselves. The theories of chemistry illuminate our understanding of the material world from tiny atom to giant galaxies. 

Definition:

Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the properties, composition and structure of matter. Chemistry also deals with the changes involved in the matter. It also deals with the principles governing the changes which matter may undergo. 

LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY

Over the centuries, chemistry has undergone remarkable progress. Chemistry from the very beginning was, however, used in a number of arts and crafts, such as pottery making, glass making, dyeing and in metallurgy. All these developments were empirical (experimental) that is they were achieved by trial and error and not on the basis of any systematis study.

THE GREEK PERIOD

Greek philosophers like Plato (347 - 428 B.C), Aristotle (322-384 B.C), Democritus (357-460B.C) and many others contributed a lot in number of small ways to the early development of chemistry. They introduced the concept of elements, atoms and the chemical reactions. They thought that all matter was derived from four elements, earth, air, fire and water. These elements have properties of their own such as hot, dry, cold and wet. According to them, fire was hot and dry, earth was dry and cold, water was cold, hot and wet and air was cold, wet and hot.

The Romans developed the chemical arts still further. They improved metallurgical processes and introduced the enamelling of pottery. However, they developed little theoretical knowledge in this regard. Their works were all empirical.

THE MUSLIM PERIOD

The Muslim period was from 600 to 1600 A.D in the history of chemistry and is known as the period of alchemists. In the middle ages, chemistry was given a spurt of work. During the first few centuries of Hijra, the Muslim scientists made rich contributions to the various branches of science, specially in the field of chemistry and introduced scientific methods and experimentations. The modern scientific knowledge is based on the contributions of these Muslim scholars.

The alchemists developed and used many laboratory equipments such as funnels, beakers, crucibles for melting and fusion, retorts for distillation, balances for weighing, etc. They discovered various acids, alcohols and medicines.

Jabir Ibne-Haiyan (721 - 803 A.D), generally known as the father of alchemy, invented experimental methods for the preparations of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and white lead. He also developed methods for the extraction of metals from their ores and dyeing cloths.

Al-Razi (862-930 A.D) was a physician, alchemist and a philosopher. He was an expert surgeon and was the first to use opium as an anaesthesia. He divided the substances into living and non-living origins, which was later adopted by Berzellius, in 1806 to classify chemical compounds on the basis of their origins as organic and inorganic compounds. Al- Razi prepared ethyl alcohol by the fermentation process.

Al - Beruni (973 - 1048 A.D) contributed a lot in physics, metaphysics, mathematics, geography and history. In the field of chemistry, he determined the densities of different substances.

Ibne-Sina (980 - 1037 A.D) was famous for his contribution in the field of medicines, medicinal chemistry, philosophy, mathematics and astronomy. 

These Muslim alchemists were interested more in finding a way to prolong life and to convert baser metals like lead, copper into gold. Although their efforts were futile but their researches led to the discoveries of many substances and laid the foundation of chemistry. By the late sixteenth century, a lot of chemical laboratories sprang up and the important reagents like sulphuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, silver nitrate, etc were discovered. Chemists of that period, however, devoted their energies mainly to the production of drugs for the use of medicines.

THE MODERN PERIOD

Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691 A.D) described affectionately as the father of modern chemistry, was the first to put forward the idea that chemistry should be regarded as a systematic investigation of nature with the sole aim of promoting knowledge. As a result, lot of discoveries were made during later years.

J. Black (1728 - 1799) made a study of carbon dioxide.

J. Priestly (1733 - 1804) discovered oxygen, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen chloride.

Scheele (1742 - 1786) discovered chlorine. Cavendish (1731-1810) discovered hydrogen, Lavoisior (1743 1794) discovered that oxygen constituted about one-fifth of air. John Dalton (1766 - 1844) made a great stride in chemistry with his atomic theory of matter. The idea of atoms and molecules became the established fact and the concept of atomic weight was also given by John Dalton.

Gay - Lussac (1778 - 1850), Avogadro (1776 - 1856), Dulang (1785 - 1838) and Petit (1741 - 1820) and others led to the determination of relative atomic and molecular masses of many substances. Meanwhile J.J. Berzelius (1779 1848) introduced the idea of symbols, formulae and chemical equation to make the study more systematic. This was further enhanced by Mendeleeff (1824 1907) who discovered the periodic arrangement of the elements. The ionic theory and the laws of electrolysis were put forward by Arrhenius (1859 1927) and M. Faraday (1791 - 1867), respectively. The works of J.J. Thomson (1856 - 1940), H. Becquerel (1852 1908), M. Curie (1867 - 1934), Neil Bohr (1885 - 1962) and E. Rutherford (1891 1937) led to the discoveries of structure of atom, radioactivity, there by opening the door of the present nuclear age.

CHEMISTRY AND SOCIETY

There are three significant reasons to study chemistry. First, chemistry has important practical applications in the society. The development of life saving drugs is one and a complete list would touch upon most areas of modern technology.

Second, chemistry is an intellectual enterprise, a way of explaining our material world.

Finally, chemistry figures prominently in other fields, such as in biology, in the advancement of medicines. Chemistry in every field is, a useful intellectual tool for making important decisions.

The role of chemistry in the prevailing society is of enormous benefits. We are familiar with many chemicals which have become part and parcel of our daily life.

Chlorine has become an important commercial chemical. Today chlorine has turned into the main element for producing more than one thousand chlorine compounds, which are of great importance in chemical industry, producing Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) as plastics for pipes. Other Chlorine compounds are used as bleaching agent, disinfectants, solvents, pesticides, refrigerants, flame retardant and drugs.

Cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery are dangerous diseases, transmitted through impure drinking water. All such water borne diseases are all but eliminated from most of the parts of the world, when water supplies are treated with chlorine which kill pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms. Chemistry plays an important role in the modern world.

For example food, synthetic fibers, plastics, medicines, soap, detergents, cosmetics, cement, fertilizers, glass and explosives are the major gifts of chemistry.

The applications of chemistry are much like the science itself, undergoing constant changes. Chemistry is an extremely practical science and has deep influence on our daily living. It matters with the protection of environment, providing our everyday needs of food, clothing and shelters. Using chemistry we have discovered pharmaceutical chemicals that enhance our health and prolong our lives. Unfortunately some chemicals have the potentials of harming our health or the environment. It is in our best interest as educated citizens and consumers to understand the profound effect, both positive and negative that chemicals have on our lives.

We use fluoride compounds such as SnF,, Na, PO̟. F (Sodium fluoro phosphate) and NaF in our tooth pastes to protect and control tooth decay. It is a great beneficence of chemistry on the society.

BRANCHES OF CHEMISTRY

There are various branches of chemistry. The main branches of chemistry are:

(1) Physical chemistry

(2) Organic chemistry

(3) Inorganic chemistry

(4) Analytical chemistry 

(5) Bio chemistry 

(6) Industrial and Applied chemistry 

(7) Nuclear chemistry

(8) Environmental chemistry

(9) Polymeric chemistry

Physical Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the laws and the principles governing the combination of atoms and molecules in chemical reactions.

Organic Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with carbon compounds with the exception of CO,, CO, metal carbonates, bicarbonates and carbides. Actually it is the chemistry of hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Most of the consumers products are organic in nature.

Inorganic Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the chemistry of elements and their compounds, generally obtained from non-living organisms i.e. from minerals.

Analytical Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of the methods and techniques involved to determine the kind, quality and quantity of various components in a given substance.

Biochemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the compounds of living organisms i.e. plants and animals and their metabolism in the living body.

Industrial Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of different chemical processes involved in the chemical industries for the manufacture of synthetic products like glass, cement, paper, soda ash, fertilizers, medicines etc.

Nuclear Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of changes occurring in the nuclei of atoms, accompanied by the emission of invisible radiations.

Environmental Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of the interaction of chemical materials and their effect on the environment of animals and plants. Personal hygiene, pollution and health hazards are important areas of environmental chemistry. 

Polymeric Chemistry:

It is the branch of chemistry that deals specially with the study of polymerization and the products obtained through the process of polymerization such as plastics, synthetic fibers, papers etc.

Every branch of chemistry has its own importance in human life. Biochemistry is the backbone of medical sciences. Environmental chemistry tells us about the environment composition and that how one can protect its environment from environmental hazards. Industrial chemistry helps us in the manufacturing of the industrial products and their uses. Analytical chemistry is important to understand the composition of compounds, quality of the products, analysis of biological samples, such as water, milk, urine, blood, soil and the use of research techniques, such as chromotography and spectroscopy. Nuclear chemistry provides us radio isotopes for the treatment of many diseases, such as cancer and also to give atomic energy for the benefits of mankind.

THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IN CHEMISTRY

(Observation, Hypothesis, Theory and Law)

Over the years science has developed through a series of discoveries which started off as observed natural phenomenon which had to be explained. This was done by using scientific method in a systematic manner. (1) Observation: Different people observe a phenomenon in different ways. Some of us observe something very critically to extract from it a new point. Observation is a basic tool to go forth for elaborating a phenomenon but it may vary from person to person according to his own skill of elaboration. Observation of a thing is one of the scientific approaches in chemistry.

Hypothesis:

When a phenomenon is observed; a scientist ponders over it and carries out relevant experiments. He sieves through the data and arrives at a possible explanation for the nature of the phenomenon. This explanation; which is still only a trial idea is called hypothesis. It may or may not undergo a change as a result further investigations and accumulation of more knowledge or facts.

Theory:

The scientist conveys his hypothesis to other workers of the same field for the discussion and for further experimentation. When the hypothesis is supported by a large amount of different types of observations and experiments, then it becomes a theory i.e. scientifically acceptable idea or principle to explain a phenomenon. A good theory predicts new facts and unravels new relationship between naturally occurring phenomenon.

Scientific Law:

A theory which is tested again and again and found to fit the facts and from which valid predictions may be made is then known as scientific law or principle.

However, not all hypothesis and theories pass successfully to become scientific laws. Some may sound very convincing and be supported by mathematical calculations but are very difficult to prove experimentally. This is invariably due to the material under investigation or the lack of suitable working equipments. A typical example is Avogadro's hypothesis which has not been proved conclusively and yet it is accepted as Avogadro's law.

Science cherishes all forms of ideas and proposals. Even obsolete ideas are kept as reference. It is said that there is no end to knowledge, so development in science too may have no limits.