Fundamentals of Chemistry: Matter, Properties, and Methods
Fundamentals of Chemistry
Matter: anything that has mass and occupies space.
Chemistry: study of the composition of matter & the changes that matter undergoes.
Organic Chemistry: study of all chemicals containing carbon.
Inorganic Chemistry: study of chemicals that generally do not contain carbon (mainly found in non-living things).
Biochemistry: the study of processes that take place in organisms.
Analytical Chemistry: area that focuses on the composition of matter.
Physical Chemistry: area that deals with mechanism, the rate, & the energy transfer that occurs when matter undergoes a change.
Pure Chemistry: pursuit of chemical knowledge for its own sake.
Applied Chemistry: research that is directed toward a practical goal or application.
Technology: means by which society provides its members with those things needed & desired. Chemists design materials to fit specific needs.
Ways to Observe the World
- Macroscopic: objects that are large enough to see with the unaided eye.
- Microscopic: objects that can be seen only with magnification.
Scientists are always looking for ways to conserve Energy.
- Conservation (ex: SEAgel is a modern insulation material or foam made from seaweed)
- Production (most common ways to produce energy: use of coal, petroleum & natural gas)
- Storage (rechargeable batteries; cordless tools, used more times, less contamination)
Drugs treat conditions like: infections, high blood pressure.
Biotechnology: applies science to the production of biological products or processes. May depend on the transfer of genes from one organism to another.
Chemists help to develop more productive crops & safer, & more effective ways to protect crops.
Pollutant: Materials found in air, water or soil that is harmful to humans & other organisms.
40% of modern medicines come from chemicals produced by plants or animals.
Historical Perspectives
Practical Alchemy: focused on developing techniques for working with metals, glass & dyes.
Mystical Alchemy: focused on concepts like perfection. Alchemists developed tools & techniques for working with chemicals: separating mixtures, purifying chemicals.
Tools: beakers, flasks, tongs, funnels, mortar, pestle.
The Scientific Method
Scientific Method: logical systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem.
Steps: Observation: act of perceiving events using senses.
Steps of Scientific Investigation:
- Collecting Observations
- Asking Questions
- Formulating Hypotheses (Hypotheses: explanations that might be true.)
- Making Predictions (Prediction: Expected outcome of a test assuming the hypotheses is correct)
- Confirming Predictions (Experiment: procedure used to test a hypothesis. Manipulated Variable: variable that changes during experiment. Responding Variable: variable observed during experiment. Scientific Law: summarizes all results of observations & experiments)
- Draw Conclusions (it may be supported or rejected)
Theory: set of related hypotheses that have been tested & confirmed many times.
Problem Solving
Solving a Problem: Analyze, Calculate, Evaluate
Mass: Amount of matter something contains.
Volume: Amount of space occupied by an object.
Properties used to describe matter:
- Extensive: property that depends on the amount of matter in a sample.
- Intensive: property that depends on the type of matter in a sample (like hardness)
Substance: matter that has a uniform and definite composition.
States of Matter:
- Solid: definite shape and volume (particles tightly packed together).
- Liquid: indefinite shape and has a fixed volume. (particles are close but free to flow)
- Gas: takes shape and volume of its container. (particles far apart from each other).
Vapor describes the gaseous state of a substance that is generally liquid or solid at room temperature.
During physical changes some properties change but the composition of the material doesn’t change. (boil, break, grind) they can be reversible or irreversible.
Mixture: physical blend of 2 or more components. can be HOMOGENEOUS (composition is not uniform throughout) OR HETEROGENEOUS or solution (composition is uniform throughout)
Separating mixtures: filtration (separates solids and liquids in heterogeneous mixtures) distillation (separate components of water)