Chemistry is such a broad subject and one so full of detail that it is easy for a newcomer to find it somewhat overwhelming, if not intimidating. The best way around this is to look at Chemistry from a variety of viewpoints:
- How Chemistry relates to other sciences and to the world in general
- What are some of the fundamental concepts that extend throughout Chemistry?
- What are some of the major currents of modern-day Chemistry?
The Scope of Chemical Science
Chemistry is too universal and dynamically-changing a subject to be confined to a fixed definition; it might be better to think of chemistry more as a point of view that places its major focus on the structure and properties of substances— particular kinds of matter— and especially on the changes that they undergo.
In some ways, physics might be considered more "fundamental" to the extent that it deals with matter and energy in a more general way, without the emphasis on particular substances. But the distincion can get pretty fuzzy; it is ultimately rather futile to confine any aspect of human endeavour to little boxes.
CHEMISTRY: The central science
The real importance of Chemistry is that it serves as the interface to practically all of the other sciences, as well as to many other areas of human endeavor. For this reason, Chemistry is often said (at least by chemists!) to be the "central science".
Chemistry can be "central" in a much more personal way: with a solid background in Chemistry, you will find it far easier to migrate into other fields as your interests develop.
Research or teaching not for you? Chemistry is so deeply ingrained into so many areas of business, government, and environmental management that some background in the subject can be useful (and able to give you a career edge as a team member having special skills) in fields as varied as product development, marketing, management, computer science, technical writing, and even law.
History of Chemistry
Ø Egyptian alchemy [3,000 BCE – 400 BCE], formulate early "element" theories such as the Ogdoad.
Ø Greek alchemy [332 BCE – 642 CE], the Macedonian king Alexander the Great conquers Egypt and founds Alexandria, having the world's largest library, where scholars and wise men gather to study.
Ø Islamic alchemy [642 CE – 1200], the Muslim conquest of Egypt; development of alchemy by Jābir ibn Hayyān, al-Razi and others; Jābir modifies Aristotle's theories; advances in processes and apparatus.[15]
Ø European alchemy [1300 – present], Pseudo-Geber builds on Arabic chemistry.[citation needed] From the 12th century, major advances in the chemical arts shifted from Arab lands to western Europe.[15]
Ø Chemistry [1869], Dmitri Mendeleev presented his Periodic table being the framework of the modern chemistry
So what is CHEMSITRY?
Ø Alchemy (330) – the study of the composition of waters, movement, growth, embodying, disembodying, drawing the spirits from bodies and bonding the spirits within bodies (Zosimos).
Ø Chymistry (1663) – a scientific art, by which one learns to dissolve bodies, and draw from them the different substances on their composition, and how to unite them again, and exalt them to a higher perfection (Glaser).
Ø Chemistry (1730) – the art of resolving mixed, compound, or aggregate bodies into their principles; and of composing such bodies from those principles (Stahl).
Ø Chemistry (1947) – the science of substances: their structure, their properties, and the reactions that change them into other substances (Pauling).
General Definition
- Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure andproperties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds.
- Chemistry is sometimes called "the central science" because it connects physics with other natural sciences such as geology and biology.
- Chemistry is a branch of physical science but distinct from physics.
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