INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY

PART 1WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?

OBJECTIVESWhen you complete this presentation, you will be able to• Identify the five traditional areas of study in chemistry• Relate pure chemistry to applied chemistry• Identify reasons to study chemistry

WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?• In the fall, the leaves in the eastern part of the US turn

bright colors.• These colors are the result of bright pigments produced

by complex chemical processes.• The pigments are an example of matter.

• Just like the leaves, the trees, and you.• Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.

WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?• Chemistry is the study of the composition of matter and

the changes that matter undergoes.• Here are some of the questions we can ask about the

composition of matter.• What is matter made of?• How is it put together?• What are its properties?

• Here are some of the questions we can ask about the changes that matter undergoes.

• How does one kind of matter become another kind of matter?

• How can we change one kind of matter to another kind?• What conditions give us the best change?

WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?• The scope of chemistry is huge.

• We can study the chemistry of• nanotubes• bacteria• plastics• planets and moons• stars

AREAS OF STUDY• There are five traditional areas of study in chemistry.

• Organic chemistry• Inorganic chemistry• Biochemistry• Analytical chemistry• Physical chemistry

• Let’s look a little more closely at each area of study.

AREAS OF STUDY• Organic chemistry

• This is what most people think of when they think of “chemistry.”

• This is the study of most carbon compounds.• We also look at hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen with the

carbon.• Plastics, petroleum compounds and pharmaceuticals are

organic compounds.

AREAS OF STUDY• Inorganic chemistry

• This is the chemistry of all non-organic compounds.• Inorganic compounds include such things as common

salts, metals, and semiconductors.

AREAS OF STUDY• Biochemistry

• This is the study of the chemistry of living organisms.• Biochemists look at DNA, RNA, proteins, and other

chemicals produced by cells and viruses.

AREAS OF STUDY• Analytical chemistry

• This is the identification of the components of matter.• This is also where instruments and techniques are

developed to identify matter.• This is the area of chemistry that is shown in the TV show

CSI or NCIS.• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) developed from

analytical techniques.

AREAS OF STUDY• Physical chemistry

• This is the study of the properties and changes of matter.• It is also the study of the relationship of energy to the

properties of matter.• Physical chemists can tell the speed of a reaction and how

much energy is used or released by the reaction.

AREAS OF STUDY• None of these branches is isolated from the other

branches.• Chemists within one branch work with others to reach the

desired goal.• Most chemical companies and universities hire chemists

with expertise in each of these areas.• They collaborate in their research to push out the

boundaries of chemistry.

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY• Research in chemistry can usually be divided into two

categories.• Pure research• Applied research

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY• Pure research is research for its own sake.

• The chemist finds a problem interesting and she starts looking into it.

• There is no expectation that there will be any immediate use for the results of the research.

• For example, she may want to explore new methods of synthesizing certain organophosphorous compounds.

• The results of the research might be useful for producing compounds that can remove radioactive contaminants from nuclear power waste water.

• But, that is not why she is doing the research.

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY• Applied research is research to solve a particular

problem.• Again, the chemist finds a problem interesting and she

starts looking into it.• However, in this case, she is looking toward a practical

goal or application.• For example, she may want to synthesize a new headache

drug.• The results of the research could very easily be

commercialized by her employer.

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY• In most cases, pure research is necessary before applied

research can be done.• We look at pure research as the foundation that is used

to support applied research.• The applied researcher uses the techniques discovered by

pure researchers.• Without a large catalog of pure research, there will be only

limited success in applied research.• Pure research is supported by both the government and

industry.

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY• The development of applied research into a useful product

is called technology.• Technology is the means by which a society provides its

members with those things that are needed and desired.• In any technology, scientific knowledge is used in ways

that can benefit or harm people or the environment.• Debates about how to use scientific knowledge are usually

debates about the risks and benefits of technology.

WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY?• There are many reasons to study chemistry.

• Explaining the Natural world.• Chemistry is one of the sciences that most of us were

naturally curious about as a child.• We see chemistry in a wide variety of applications in the

world today.• The browning of apples when they are peeled• The change in the texture of eggs when they are

boiled or scrambled• The expansion of water when it freezes• The reason behind sugar dissolving faster in hot

liquids than in cold liquids

WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY?• There are many reasons to study chemistry.

• Preparing for a career• Chemistry is a requirement (or at least useful) for many

careers.• How might a knowledge of chemistry be useful for these

professions?• Medical professionals• Culinary arts• Engineering• Fire fighting• Visual artist

WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY?• There are many reasons to study chemistry.

• Being an informed citizen• Science and technology play an increasingly important role

in our society.• Only informed citizens can be expected to be able to make

the hard decisions about some of these issues.• Funding additional scientific research• Finding a site for a new chemical plant• Deciding about clean air and water laws