This section contains information, facts, and worksheets on Chemistry.
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Chemistry is the exciting scientific discipline of chemicals, compounds, elements, molecules and atoms. By learning about their composition, structure, properties and behaviors, as well as the changes they undergo during reactions, scientists have been able to create new compounds in food, industry and medicine, understand phenomena, and even figure out what the universe and its heavenly bodies are made of.
The history of chemistry goes back thousands of years to the ancient times. The earliest examples include the extraction of metals and ores used in pottery and metalwork, extraction of compounds in plants for medicine, and even making soap, glass, perfume, beer and wine. Indeed, before we had the understanding of chemistry that we have today, alchemy was a non-scientific approach that hoped to create gold or the elixir of life through concoctions and experiments.
In the past 300 years, the field of chemistry has grown rapidly and we now know that the atom is the basis of everything in the known universe. As the basic unit in chemistry, atoms of different compositions form 103 elements, which are pure substances consisting of only one kind of atom.
Elements can join together to create something new, called compounds, which is where chemistry gets really exciting. We’ve learned that lightning has the ability to create ozone by binding three oxygen atoms together. Without chemistry, we wouldn’t have discovered the power of Penicillin in healthcare. While it’s been true for thousands of years that diamond is the hardest substance on Earth, newly identified wurtzite boron nitride has taken the top spot. And on the topic of diamonds, through chemistry, we’re now able to synthesize fake diamonds, called cubic zirconia. Chemistry saw the invention of gunpowder, which changed the course of world power forever, while the invention of polythene, a key component of plastic has both revolutionized the world and jeopardized the health of the planet. Similarly, understanding how crystals work is why our crisp, bright TVs, computer screens and smart devices are now liquid crystal displays.
Chemistry is so much more than cool experiments, although we must admit that Mentos and cola, invisible ink, lava lamps and baking soda volcano experiments are loads of fun. The study of the smallest units of matter can dramatically change the world, so why delay? Let’s get learning about the stuff of the Universe, Earth, even you and me! if there's a topic you're interested in that we don't have, contact us!
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