Introduction to Chemistry: Chemistry is used in everyday life as well as in the workplace. Cosmetics, medicines, the textile industry, agriculture, washing agents, and other industries employ chemicals ranging from simple to compound. In this article, let’s understand everything about Chemistry, its branches and its applications.

What is Science?

Before going through the topic of introduction to Chemistry, let’s understand what is Science. The term “science” is one that we are all familiar with. But what is Science? How has it been developed? And why is it so important?

Since ancient times, man has always been curious about nature and the fascinating world around him. In this learning process, human beings started observing natural occurrences and came out with some endings. This effort further led to new ideas. These organized human discoveries were later on given the name science.

The scientific knowledge gained importance, and it was passed on from one generation to another to develop mankind. With time, the total of this human knowledge brought about profound changes in human behaviour, and people started enjoying the ‘miracles’ of Science.

Introduction to Chemistry

Science is broadly classified into three main branches: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Nature is a large reservoir of different kinds of substances that need to be minutely studied to understand and appreciate,

– What do they consist of?
– What is the process of making them?
– Will they stay the same for the rest of their lives, or will they evolve?
– How can they be of assistance?
– Is it possible for a man to prepare them?
– A detailed study of all the substances is done under the heading Chemistry.

The branch of science that deals with studying the composition and the physical and chemical properties of various forms of matter is called chemistry.

Main Branches of Chemistry

The main branches of chemistry are organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry.

Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry: It deals with compounds that do not consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Introduction to Physical Chemistry: It is a branch of chemistry that deals with the behaviour of matter at a molecular or an atomic level. It is the study of macroscopic and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the practices, principles and concepts of physics such as force, time, motion, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, quantum chemistry, and analytical dynamics.

Introduction to Biochemistry: The branch of science that deals with control and coordination with a living organism is called Biochemistry. It deals with structures, interactions and functions of biological macromolecules such as lipids, carbohydrates and proteins.

Introduction to Organic Chemistry

The element carbon forms covalent bonds with atoms of other elements like hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, oxygen and halogens. The following compounds are studied under a separate branch of chemistry called organic chemistry. But according to modern definition, organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry dealing with the study of hydrocarbons and the compounds which could be thought of as the derivatives of hydrocarbons.

In the early days, it was considered impossible to prepare organic compounds in the laboratory. Berzelius \(\left( {1807} \right)\) believed that organic compounds are from living organisms, and these could only be produced by some mysterious force called ‘vital force’, and they cannot be prepared artificially. According to him, inorganic compounds are from non-living sources like minerals.

However, this vital force theory was rejected in \(1828\) when Wohler prepared an organic compound, urea, by heating ammonium cyanate, an inorganic compound. Then the synthesis of acetic acid by Kolbe and that of methane by Berthelot showed conclusively that organic compounds could be synthesized from inorganic sources in a laboratory.

\({\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\rm{CNO}} \to {\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{CON}}{{\rm{H}}_2}\)

A large number of carbon compounds are formed due to their high catenation capacity, i.e., ability to form chains with its atoms. It can form single and multiple bonds with its atoms or other atoms. Carbon can form four single bonds, a double bond and two single bonds, a triple bond and a single bond or two double bonds with its atoms or other atoms as per the requirements. All these bonds are strong, and also carbon can form ring compounds and fused ring compounds. Isomerism is one of the reasons for an innumerable number of carbon compounds. The primary natural sources of organic compounds are coal, petroleum, natural gas, animals and plants.

Organic compounds are vital for sustaining life on the earth and include complex molecules like genetic information-bearing DNA and proteins that constitute essential compounds of our blood.

The development of the electric theory of covalent bonding helped organic chemistry for its modern shape.

Introduction to Analytical Chemistry

Analytical chemistry facilitates the investigation of the chemical composition of substances. It uses the instruments and methods to separate, identify and quantify the matter under study. The analysis thus provides chemical or physical information about a sample. Analysis may be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative analysis is concerned with detecting the presence or absence of elements in compounds and chemical compounds in mixtures. The quantitative analysis deals with determining the relative proportions of elements in compounds and chemical compounds in mixtures.

The branch of chemistry which deals with the study of separation, identification, qualitative and quantitative determination of the compositions of different substances is called analytical chemistry.

Importance of Analytical Chemistry

The course of analytical chemistry extends the knowledge acquired by the students in studying general inorganic and organic chemistry. Chemical analysis is one of the most important methods of monitoring the composition of raw materials, intermediates and finished products, and air composition in streets and premises of industrial plants.

In agriculture, chemical analysis is used to determine the composition of soils and fertilizers; in medicine, to determine the composition of medicinal preparations. Analytical chemistry has applications in forensic science, engineering and industry. The industrial process and the production of new kinds of materials are closely associated with analytical chemistry. Analytical chemistry consists of classical, wet chemical methods and modern instrumental methods.

Importance of Chemistry in Daily Life

Chemistry plays a vital role in our life. Thousands of valuable substances are produced through chemical processes such as soaps, detergents, toothpaste, shoe polish, clothes, dyes, etc. They are all gifts of chemistry. They are all, in turn, help in improving our national economy.

Few Examples of Chemistry in Our Daily Life

We use chemistry in many fields; some are agriculture, mineral prospecting, industry, medicine, cosmetic industry, space research, electronics, protecting materials, household, clothing, building materials, etc.

Common Chemistry Laboratory Apparatus

Test Tube: The test tubes are of various sizes and these are made from Pyrex glass or borosil glass, commonly called hard glass test tube or boiling test tube. A test tube is directly heated on flame.

Test Tube Holder: It is a kind of iron tong provided with a wooden handle. It is used for holding a test tube when a substance is being heated.

Test Tube Stand: It is a plastic stand for keeping test tubes in position.

Round Bottomed Flask: It is a glass container with a spherical bulb and a narrow cylindrical neck. It is generally used for heating liquids.

Flat Bottomed Flask: It is a glass container with a spherical bulb, flattened at the base and provided with a cylindrical neck. It is used for mixing/ storing chemicals in the form of liquids.

Conical Flask: It is a cone-shaped flask with a flat base and provided with a cylindrical neck. It is also used for mixing chemicals in the form of liquids.

Beaker: It is an open glass container, cylindrical and provided with a lip of pouring out liquids. The beakers are of different sizes as \({\rm{50}}\,{\rm{cc,}}\,{\rm{100}}\,{\rm{cc,}}\,{\rm{250}}\,{\rm{cc,}}\,{\rm{500}}\,{\rm{cc,}}\) etc.

Glass Rod: It is a solid glass tube of \({\rm{3}}\,{\rm{mm}}\) diameter. It is generally used for stirring chemicals in the form of liquids.

Funnel: A conical vessel is provided with a long tapering neck and is made from glass or plastic. It is employed for pouring out liquids from one vessel to another without causing any spilling.

Pipette: It is a long narrow tube provided with a nozzle at one end and a bulb in the middle. A circular mark is made on its neck which signifies the volume of liquid. For coloured solutions, upper meniscus and for colourless solutions, lower meniscus are to be considered. It is used for measuring a fixed volume of liquid chemicals and then transferring it to another vessel.

Burette: It is a long-graduated tube provided with a glass stopcock at its bottom end. It has a capacity of \({\rm{50}}\,{\rm{ml}}.\) It is used for pouring out a fixed volume of liquid (less than \({\rm{50}}\,{\rm{ml}}\)) chemicals.

Iron Stand: It is used for holding glass apparatus (generally round-bottomed flask or hard glass test tube) in a specific position.

Tripod Stand: It is a triangular hollow frame provided with three legs and is used for supporting glass apparatus, which needs heating.

Measuring Cylinder or Graduated Cylinder: A cylindrical glass vessel provided with a flat base and a lip near the top. It is used to measure a definite volume of a liquid and then pour it out in another vessel.

Asbestos Wire Gauge: An iron mesh provided with a thin sheet of asbestos in the middle. It distributes heat from the burner evenly to the glass apparatus and hence prevents its cracking.

Bunsen Burner: Modern chemistry laboratories use Bunsen burner in place of spirit lamps for heating purposes. When the Bunsen burner is connected to the gas supply, the gas is released out of the nozzle with good pressure and in doing so sucks in the air from the air holes. The mixture of gas and air, when ignited, burns on the top of the burner tube with a blue flame.

Watch Glass: A watch glass is a crucial concave piece of glass used in chemistry as a surface to evaporate a liquid, hold solids while being weighed, cover for a beaker, and heat a small amount of substance. The latter use is generally applied to prevent dust or other particles from entering into the beaker; the watch glass does not completely seal the breaker, so gas exchanges still occur.

China Dish: A china dish is a piece of laboratory glassware used to evaporate solutions and supernatant liquids, and sometimes to their melting point. China dishes are used to evaporate excess solvents- most commonly water- to produce a concentrated solution or a solid precipitate of the dissolved substances.

Dropper: Dropper is a pipette consisting of a small tube with a vacuum bulb at one end for drawing liquid in and releasing it a drop at a time.

Summary

Chemistry is the study of matter, which is anything that has mass and occupies space. It is one branch of Science, which is the study of the natural universe. Like all branches of Science, chemistry relies on the scientific method, which is learning about the world around us. In this article, we learned about introducing organic and analytical chemistry and some chemistry lab equipment.

FAQs

Q.1. What are the basics of chemistry?
Ans: The chemistry fundamentals are an introduction to the periodic table, stoichiometry, chemical states, chemical equilibria, acids and bases, oxidation and reduction reactions, chemical kinetics, inorganic nomenclature and chemical bonding.

Q.2. What are the five types of chemistry?
Ans: The main five branches of chemistry are organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and biochemistry.

Q.3. How do you write an introduction to chemistry?
Ans: Chemistry is the study of matter and how different forms of matter combine. You study chemistry because it assists you in finding out the world around you. Chemistry forms the foundation for biology and medicine. From the structure of proteins and nucleic acids to the design, synthesis and manufacture of drugs.

Q.4. What is the importance of chemistry?
Ans: Chemistry is essential because all you do is chemistry! Everything is made up of chemicals. Chemical reactions occur when you eat, breathe or sit there while reading. The matter is made up of chemicals, so the importance of chemistry is studying everything.

Q.5. How does chemistry affect our life?
Ans: Food is made from chemicals. Chemical reactions cause many of the changes you observe in the world around you. Examples include changing the colours of leaves, cooking food and getting clean. Knowing some chemistry can help you make day to day decisions that affect your life.

We hope this article on Introduction to Chemistry has helped you. If you have any queries, drop a comment below, and we will get back to you at the earliest.