1.1 Chemistry in Context Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the historical development and early practices of chemistry from Section 1.1 Chemistry in Context.

Bronze

An alloy produced by mixing copper and tin together.

Soap

A substance prepared by combining fats with alkalis extracted from ashes.

Base Metals

Metals such as lead that alchemists endeavored to transform into noble metals like gold.

Noble Metals

Valuable metals such as gold that alchemists attempted to create from base metals.

Alchemists

Historical practitioners from Egypt, China, and the eastern Mediterranean who endeavored to transform base metals into noble metals and create elixirs to cure disease and extend life.

Four Greek Elements

The postulate by Greek philosophers that matter consists of earth, air, fire, and water.

Fermentation and Distillation

Chemical processes used historically to produce alcohol (fermentation) and purify it (distillation).

Indigo and Tyrian Purple

Dyes historically extracted from plant and animal matter.