1.1 Chemistry in Context

Early Human Activities (Stone Age)

Shaping materials like flint tools and carved wood without changing their composition.

Early Human Activities (Later)

Transforming materials: clay → pottery, hides → garments, copper ores → tools, grain → bread.

Fire Use in Early Chemistry

Cooking, pottery, and smelting metals, marking the first real chemical processes.

Early Substances: Drugs

Drugs from plants such as aloe, myrrh, and opium.

Early Substances: Dyes

Dyes like indigo and Tyrian purple.

Early Substances: Alloys

Copper + tin → bronze.

Early Substances: Alcohol

Produced by fermentation and distillation.

Early Substances: Soap

Made by combining alkalis and fats.

Greek Philosophy (6th Century BC)

Proposed the four elements theory: earth, air, fire, and water.

Alchemy Goals

Transform base metals into gold and create elixirs for health and longevity.

Alchemy Contributions

Advanced metallurgy, drug isolation, and dye production.

Alchemy Limitation

Not scientific by modern standards.

Modern Chemistry

Emerged from alchemy; studies matter’s composition, properties, and changes precisely.

Central Science

Chemistry connects with biology, physics, medicine, environmental science, engineering, and more.

Chemistry in Biology and Medicine

Pharmacology, biotechnology, botany.

Chemistry in Agriculture and Food

Food preservation, brewing, winemaking.

Chemistry in Technology

Nanotechnology, materials science, electronics.

Chemistry in Environment

Geology, oceanography, atmospheric science.

Chemistry in Astronomy

Explains cosmic phenomena using chemical principles.

Everyday Changes: Digestion

Chemistry explains the digestion of food.

Everyday Changes: Oil Refining

Crude oil refined into gasoline and other products.

Everyday Changes: Polymers

Synthesized for clothing, cookware, and credit cards.

Scientific Method Definition

Systematic way to answer questions through observation, experimentation, and reasoning.

Scientific Method Step: Observation

Identify a phenomenon or problem.

Scientific Method Step: Hypothesis

Tentative explanation based on observation.

Scientific Method Step: Experimentation

Test hypothesis through reproducible experiments.

Scientific Method Step: Analysis

Interpret results of experiments.

Scientific Method Step: Conclusion

Refine, reject, or support the hypothesis.

Law in Science

Summarizes consistent experimental observations; predicts behavior but doesn't explain why.

Theory in Science

Comprehensive, testable explanation of natural phenomena.

Hypothesis vs Theory vs Law: Hypothesis

Tentative explanation of observations; guides experiments and further investigation.

Hypothesis vs Theory vs Law: Law

Summary of repeated experimental results; describes/predicts natural behavior without explaining why.

Hypothesis vs Theory vs Law: Theory

Well-supported explanation; explains why phenomena occur and can be revised with new evidence.