About Chemistry

 

Chemistry

chemistry, the science that deals with the properties, composition, and structure of substances (defined as elements and compounds), the transformations they undergo, and the energy that is released or absorbed during these processes. Every substance, whether naturally occurring or artificially produced, consists of one or more of the hundred-odd species of atoms that have been identified as elements. Although these atoms, in turn, are composed of more elementary particles, they are the basic building blocks of chemical substances; there is no quantity of oxygen, mercury, or gold, for example, smaller than an atom of that substance. Chemistry, therefore, is concerned not with the subatomic domain but with the properties of atoms and the laws governing their combinations and how the knowledge of these properties can be used to achieve specific purposes.

Chemistry also is concerned with the utilization of natural substances and the creation of artificial ones. Cooking, fermentation, glass making, and metallurgy are all chemical processes that date from the beginnings of civilization. Today, vinyl, Teflon, liquid crystals, semiconductors, and superconductors represent the fruits of chemical technology. The 20th century saw dramatic advances in the comprehension of the marvelous and complex chemistry of living organisms, and a molecular interpretation of health and disease holds great promise. Modern chemistry, aided by increasingly sophisticated instruments, studies materials as small as single atoms and as large and complex as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which contains millions of atoms. New substances can even be designed to bear desired characteristics and then synthesized. The rate at which chemical knowledge continues to accumulate is remarkable. Over time more than 8,000,000 different chemical substances, both natural and artificial, have been characterized and produced. The number was less than 500,000 as recently as 1965.

Father of Chemistry

Antoine Lavoisier:-

Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier was entitled to the title of father of chemistry.

He was born in the year 1743 and he made a great contribution to the field of chemistry.

Contributions of Antoine Lavoisier:-

Some of the contributions of Antoine Lavoisier are:-

He came forward with the Oxygen theory of combustion.

He was the first to establish that water is not an element but a compound.

He also co-discovered that respiration is a form of combustion.

He also proposed the Law of Conservation of Mass.

He also discovered that diamond is a form of carbon and Sulfur is an element.

He also contributed to the adoption of the metric system.

Lavoisier co-authored the first modern system of chemical nomenclature too.

Due to these contributions of his to chemistry, he was known as the father of chemistry.

Therefore, Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier was known as the father of chemistry.

Types of Chemistry

Analytical Chemistry

Analytical chemistry is the science of obtaining, processing, and communicating information about the composition and structure of matter. In other words, it is the art and science of determining what matter is and how much of it exists.

Biochemistry

Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and metabolism. Over the last decades of the 20th century, biochemistry has become successful at explaining living processes through these three disciplines. Almost all areas of the life sciences are being uncovered and developed through biochemical
methodology and research. Biochemistry focuses on understanding the chemical basis which allows biological molecules to give rise to the processes that occur within living cells and between cells,in turn relating greatly to the understanding of tissues and organs, as well as organism structure and function. Biochemistry is closely related to molecular biology, which is the study of the molecular mechanisms of biological phenomena

Inorganic Chemistry.

The branch of chemistry that deals with the study of compounds, which does not consist of carbon-hydrogen atoms in it, is called 'Inorganic Chemistry. ' In simple words, it is opposite to that of Organic Chemistry. The substances which do not have carbon-hydrogen bonding are metals, salts, chemical substances, etc.

Organic Chemistry.

Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-containing compounds. Most organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen, but they may also include any number of other elements (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur).

Physical Chemistry.

Physical chemistry, branch of chemistry concerned with interactions and transformations of materials.

Unlike other branches, it deals with the principles of physics underlying all chemical interactions (e.g., gas laws), seeking to measure, correlate, and explain the quantitative aspects of reactions.

A Future in Chemistry

Advances in technology and the rapid adoption of innovation have

far-reaching implications for the future of the chemical sciences. The

nature of chemistry research, organisational forms and chemistry careers

are likely to change.

Technology is likely to drive radical improvements in efficiency, processes,

computational modelling and metrology. This is likely to further impel interdisciplinary working and change the nature of research, the character of academic and professional careers, organisational forms and industrial

structures. For example, there may be more start-ups, specialists and niche players.

Experimentation is expected to become radically more efficient. This will impact research, who is able to conduct this work and the necessary infrastructure. Computational developments, combined with advances in real-time and high-throughput experimentation, may radically reduce the

time required for modelling and to “get stuff out of the lab”.

Approaches to research on organic synthesis, general catalytic chemistry

and testing the physical properties of models will see changes, and

chemists are expected to become even more focused on thermodynamics.

The production of “molecules on demand” may follow, although this

development probably sits beyond our ten to twenty year time horizon.

Chemists may be able to produce models on demand for specific clients

and to develop a product without extensive testing.

This is a world that has been shocked by the challenges facing society and has reacted accordingly.

Major threats to humanity and our environment have focused research efforts and resources on issues of food, water, health, climate change and energy. Governments, philanthropists, industry and academia have come together to address these challenges through huge joint initiatives.

Chemists are recognised for taking a leading role in addressing major global issues such as climate change,

pandemics, water shortages and the exhaustion of rare mineral supplies. As a result, chemistry is seen as
a discipline with strong core values and it now exists in the cultural space.

Chemistry is an everyday topic of conversation for most people. Major films with scientific plots inspire a generation of chemists. Media connects the public to  chemistry and famous chemists explain concepts to the public in popular and accessible ways. The elderly are particularly willing to participate. They own much of society’s wealth and face complex health problems, and look to science for solutions.