What Chemistry Means to Me
What chemistry means to me and how it impacts upon my life
From the foods we eat and the medicines we take to the products we regularly use, our lives are inextricably linked to chemicals and their operating principles.
Chemistry is everywhere. The air we breathe, the ground we stand on, the seas we sail, and the variety of living things including our own bodies; all these are made of substances that we call chemicals. These chemicals interact with one another, and, in many cases, these interactions produce new substances through processes known as chemical reactions. Over time, in high school I have learned much about chemicals and have mastered numerous chemical reactions, giving me the ability to modify existing substances and synthesize new ones. Consequently, chemist have created a whole new realm of materials such as those used in paints, plastics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, soaps, cosmetics, and more. Thus chemistry has provided an important foundation for our modern technological world. In what ways do we observe the operation of chemical principles in our everyday lives? Let us consider a few examples from the video that help illustrate our connections to chemistry.
The simple fact is that chemistry plays an important role in every person's daily activities from the moment we are born. So what role does chemistry really plays in everyday life? Well, this involvement usually begins first thing each morning. Most people wake up to an alarm or radio. These common household items contain batteries, which make them very chemically dependent. These batteries contain positive and negative electrodes. The positive electrode consists of a carbon rod surrounded by a mixture of carbon and manganese dioxide. The negative electrode is made of zinc. Chemistry plays an important role in the discovery and understanding of materials contained in these and many other common household items. Things like household cleaners and water purification systems are vitally
From the foods we eat and the medicines we take to the products we regularly use, our lives are inextricably linked to chemicals and their operating principles.
Chemistry is everywhere. The air we breathe, the ground we stand on, the seas we sail, and the variety of living things including our own bodies; all these are made of substances that we call chemicals. These chemicals interact with one another, and, in many cases, these interactions produce new substances through processes known as chemical reactions. Over time, in high school I have learned much about chemicals and have mastered numerous chemical reactions, giving me the ability to modify existing substances and synthesize new ones. Consequently, chemist have created a whole new realm of materials such as those used in paints, plastics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, soaps, cosmetics, and more. Thus chemistry has provided an important foundation for our modern technological world. In what ways do we observe the operation of chemical principles in our everyday lives? Let us consider a few examples from the video that help illustrate our connections to chemistry.
The simple fact is that chemistry plays an important role in every person's daily activities from the moment we are born. So what role does chemistry really plays in everyday life? Well, this involvement usually begins first thing each morning. Most people wake up to an alarm or radio. These common household items contain batteries, which make them very chemically dependent. These batteries contain positive and negative electrodes. The positive electrode consists of a carbon rod surrounded by a mixture of carbon and manganese dioxide. The negative electrode is made of zinc. Chemistry plays an important role in the discovery and understanding of materials contained in these and many other common household items. Things like household cleaners and water purification systems are vitally
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