7/25/2019 Alchmey tao Chemistry Notes
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Lecture 1
Approximately 100 elements made up our world
Elements are made of atoms (indivisible units).
Atoms are made of electrons and nucleus (protons and
neutrons)
Arrangement of electrons in atoms affect chemical properties
(eriodicity) !nly the electrons in the valence orbitals determine
chemical properties
(eriodicity) "hen atom share electrons# chemical bond arises
Atoms $oin to form molecules
All matter is made up of elements or combinations of them
(compound)
%ydrogen &' and %elium '
1 mole * +.0 , 10-
"ater molecules and carbon atoms covalent bond
Entropy /niverse is always getting more disordered
hinese Alchemy
Alchemy is a cosmic art in which the mineral and animal parts
can be
liberated from their temporal existence and attain states of
perfection. old in case of minerals# longevity# immortality and
redemption for human
hinese alchemy influenced by 2aoist philosophy and religion
hinese alchemy strong lin3 between alchemy and medicine
4ang male# positive# light# heat# sun
4in female# negative# dar3ness# cold# moon
Everything in world in made of 4in and 4ang (hinese)
Elixirs were concocted to balance the yin and yang to attain
perfect harmony 5ive elements oncept ("ater#5ire#6etal#Earth#"ood)
7 hinese Alchemy
innabar (6ercury 8ulphide# %g8) 4ang can give longevity believed
by
chinese 8ulphur 4ang
8altpetre (otassium nitrate) 4ing
Experiment with yin yang concept lead to gunpowder
reece
Empedocles (Agrigentum in 8icily) postulated that all matter is
composed '
elements (5ire# "ater# Air and Earth) Aristotle postulate the
four 9ualities hotness# coldeness# dryness and
wetness. 8toic osmos governed by correspondence between great
and small and
correspondence between the seven metals to seven planets :osimos
of panopolis provide one of the first definitions of alchemy as
the
study of the composition of water movement# embodying and
disembodying# drawing the
spirits from bodies and bonding the spirits within bodies
;slamic Alchemy
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icolas 5lamel able to create silver and gold and became a
philanthropist
ewton death reveal high %g content in his hair.
?anoccio iringuccio (;talian 6etallurgist) despises alchemy
@obert oyle rise of scientific method
oerhaave=s allegory 5armer who told his son that treasures lies
in the wild
fields surrounding their home. 2he treasure turns out to be
fictitious but the alreadyploughed land was ready to be farms
Alchemy vs hemistry
Alchemy non scientific # hemistry scientific
aracelsus (erson)
elsus 5amous @oman hysician
aracelcus eyond or better than elsus @e$ected classical gree3
medical theory (alen four humor) and Aristotle=s
four element 6odify eber=s mercuryBsulphur theory
@ise of iatrochemistry 2he application of alchemy to
6edicine
laim that everything is made of three thing (2ria rima) which
are sulphur(in
flammability)# mercury(fusability# volatility) and
salt(incombustibility# nonBvolatility)
;atrochemistry
;atro * medicalCdoctor
alen believe in four humors blood# yellow bile# blac3 bile and
phlegm.
alance to achieve health. ;atrochemistry lead to writing
textboo3s# hence ma3ing it more open than the
secretive transmutation alchemy
