The word chemistry comes from a Latin variable and from the Arabic roots chimica, chimia, alkimya , a reference to alchemy , which later becomes modern-type chemistry. It began to differentiate itself from alchemy by referring to the variety of the components and compositions of an element, defining the properties of one or on a matter and the possible transformations that arise or undergo without causing any changes, alterations or modifications on it, of the which a matter is conformed.
What is chemistry
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Chemistry is said to be the science that studies the structure, composition, and properties of matter, as well as the changes that happen during chemical reactions and their connection to energy. In another definition of chemistry, he points out that it deals mainly with supra-atomic groups, such as molecules, gases, metals and crystals, analyzing their statistical properties, compositions, reactions and transformations. In addition, the concept of chemistry includes the discernment of the properties and interaction of matter at the molecular level.
On the other hand, the chemist Linus Pauling says that chemistry is a science that analyzes the structure (forms and types of arrangement of atoms), substances, reactions and the properties that transform them into different substances in relation to time.
Another answer to what chemistry is, is that it is one of the most significant sciences throughout history, and its studies have revealed discoveries in so many subjects, some anecdotal, others of great importance such as medicines. and the cure to different diseases.
The competence of this science in the study of the so-called chemical reactions, that is, the system by which two elements are connected, and a change occurs in one of them. In this way, it is allowed to give some basic elements starting other sciences such as engineering, biology, pharmacology and geology, among others; for your own analysis.
The definition of chemistry has evolved over time, as new discoveries have been added to the functionality of this science. The word chemistry, from the point of view of scientist Robert Boyle, in 1661, referred to the area that analyzed the principles of mixed bodies.
In the year 1662, this concept was handled as the scientific art by which one learns to dissolve bodies.
Alchemy: the origin of chemistry
The term "chemistry" comes from the word "alchemy", the name given to an ancient group of proto-scientific practices that covered different elements of current science, as well as other subjects such as astronomy, metallurgy, mysticism, philosophy or medicine.
Alchemy was practiced since approximately 330 years, which in addition to exploring the manufacture of gold, analyzed the nature of movement, the composition of the waters, growth, the spiritual connection between bodies and spirits, the formation of bodies and their decomposition. At first, an alchemist was commonly called a "chemist," and later the trade he practiced would be called chemistry.
History of chemistry
It is strongly linked to the evolution of man since it covers all the transformations of the elements and the corresponding theories.
Born in the eighteenth century from the studies of alchemy, very popular among scientists of the time. The basic fundamentals of chemistry are believed to be first collected in the British scientist's book "Robert Boyle" (the skeptical chymist, 1661).
Its history really begins a century later with the studies of the Frenchman Antoine Lavoisier and his works on oxygen, the law of conservation of mass and the objection of the phlogiston theory as a theory of combustion.
The beginning of the chemical domain is the management of fire. There is evidence dating back more than 500,000 years, indicating that at the time of homo erectus, certain tribes estimated this achievement that today still remains one of the most important technologies for the evolution of man. Since it produced light and heat at night and also helped them to protect themselves from wild animals. It also allowed them to make their food. This contained fewer pathogenic microorganisms and was much easier to digest. In this way, mortality decreased and general standards of living were improved.
The philosopher Aristotle thought that chemical substances were made up of four elements: air, earth, fire and water. He believed that there was the existence of another parallel movement, atomism, which affirmed that the elements were composed of atoms, which are invisible particles that can be described as the minimum unit of matter.
After the principles of combustion were understood, another discussion of great importance took hold of chemistry. Vitalism and the fundamental differentiation between organic and inorganic chemistry. This theory assumes that organic chemistry could only be originated by living organisms by assigning this fact to an intrinsic vis vitalis of life itself.
Branches of chemistry
It is divided into a series of branches that are described below:
Organic chemistry
In the definition of organic chemistry, he points out that it is the study of chemicals formed by carbon and hydrogens, since these are the structures, the living cellular components, studying living beings and the primary and vital functions such as respiration, food and the way in which they reproduce, enclosing the biomolecules that make them up like hormones in a natural and artificial way, carbon being the element in common between them.
Inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is called the fact of not having its own life or of not being able to obtain a substance in a natural way, this chemistry constantly manages to do studies on the composition, structure, integration and variety of resources on these elements, bodies or material such as sodium carbonate or sulfuric acid, this inorganic chemistry classifies chemical solutions depending on the function that each one has, according to the base, metallic and non-metallic oxidation and salts.
Analytic chemistry
In order to understand the different compositions of the chemistry of a matter, a molecule, a sample or an object, analytical knowledge is required and this is where this branch of chemistry, analytical chemistry, comes in. Of the different scientific methods that are generated in a laboratory, it is subdivided into two branches that are: quantitative analytical chemistry and qualitative analytical chemistry.
Physical chemistry
It is when the variety of methods that physics has is applied to the different problems that chemists present, studying physics, its structure, the properties of a matter, the laws, interactions and the chemical theories that govern them, describing the procedures applying physical terms to be able to understand how to predict and in this way control said procedures for later use, describing the bases of theoretical and quantitative principles.
Biochemistry
This branch of chemistry studies the chemical basis of molecules as well as tissues, that is, it studies the form of the chemical composition of different living beings, their cells, as well as the components, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids. and nucleic acids, in order to know how they act with the different changes and their reactions as they are metabolized to obtain energy, coupling what is biomolecular chemistry and the biosystem, being a discipline that integrates these studies.
Petrochemistry
It belongs to the area of industries that use oil and natural gas as their raw material. She is in charge of the study on the different chemical derivatives and their products that come from oil and gas, extracting substances such as fossil fuels, methane, butane, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, asphalt and plastic among others Making the most of them, these industries in their different products obtained, which in turn take for granted the knowledge and form of the mechanism used for their extraction.
What is chemical engineering
It is a branch of engineering that is responsible for the development, study, synthesis, operation, design and optimization of all those industrial systems that cause chemical, physical and biochemical changes in materials.
It focuses on the design of new technologies and materials, is an important style of development and research. He is also a leader in the environmental area, as he helps to design friendly environmental systems and systems for decontamination of the environment.
Chemical engineering is based on basic sciences such as mathematics (calculus, linear algebra or higher, numerical methods, differential equations, advanced mathematics), other basic sciences included are: chemical kinetics, thermodynamics and transport phenomena, and applied disciplines such as reactor design, process engineering, equipment designs for chemical systems, and separation mechanisms. In addition, little by little they have been incorporating elements of environmental studies, food engineering, biotechnology and materials engineering.
Where to study Chemical Engineering
It is a profession in which the knowledge of mathematics, chemistry and other basic disciplines, obtained through study, practice and experience, are applied judiciously to develop economic ways of using energy and materials for the benefit of society.
In Mexico, for example, there are a large number of universities throughout the country that have a chemistry faculty where you can study this career, among these institutes the following stand out:
- INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO DE AGUASCALIENTES.
- INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO EL LLANO AGUASCALIENTES.
- AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF AGUASCALIENTES.
Chemical engineers are engaged in all activities associated with the processing of raw materials (of vegetable, animal or mineral origin) whose purpose is to obtain products of great utility and value. Therefore, they could develop their activities in:
- Industrial plants / productive companies.
- Plant and equipment construction and / or assembly companies.
- Technical service providers (maintenance, consulting, quality control, etc.).
- Governmental or non-governmental entities of control, accreditation and standards.
- Universities of higher education.
- Research and Development Centers (Industrial / Academic).
Essential concepts of chemistry
What are chemical reactions
A chemical reaction is the process of adjusting atoms and chaining together when certain substances come into contact. Chemical traits vary by altering the fit of the atoms in that substance.
What is a chemical reaction could also be defined from two points of view, one the macroscopic one that conceptualizes it as "a method through which a substance or many substances are created from one or more others" and the nanoscopic one which the defined as "a redistribution of ions and atoms, creating other structures (networks or molecules)".
The symbolic conceptualization of each of the reactions is called a chemical equation.
The results obtained starting from some types of reagents depend on the state under which the chemical reaction arises. However, after a meticulous study it is found that, although the results may change depending on the conditions, certain quantities remain constant in any reaction. These constant figures, the conserved quantities, involve the number of each kind of atom present, the total mass, and the electric charge.
What is a chemical bond
It is understood as the mixture of atoms and molecules to create more complex and large chemical compounds endowed with stability. In this system, the molecules or atoms alter their chemical and physical properties, forming new homogeneous chemical elements (not mixtures), inseparable through physical systems such as upholstery or filtering.
It is a reality that the atoms that make up matter tend to unite and achieve more stable conditions than alone, through different techniques that share or balance their natural electrical charges. It is known that the protons in the nucleus of every molecule have positive charges and the electrons in their environment have negative charges, while the neutrons that are in the nucleus, do not have a charge, but provide mass (and, therefore, gravity).
Chemical bonds occur in nature and are part of both inorganic matter and forms of life, because without them it would not be possible to build the proteins and complex amino acids that make up our body.
What are the chemical elements
A chemical element is a substance composed of molecules that have the same number of protons in their nucleus, this number is known as the atomic number of the element. Elements cannot be broken down, through a chemical reaction, into simpler ones. They are represented by symbols.
A chemical element does not break down into a simpler substance through a chemical reaction. For this reason its molecules have unique physical characteristics. However, it is important not to mix elements (whose molecules have the same number of protons in their nuclei) with simple substances (whose atoms have only one kind of molecule).
We must remember that in the concept of chemistry, a chemical reaction is the chemical changes or phenomena in any thermodynamic mechanism (the development of some magnitudes relative to a thermodynamic process, that is, a part of the isolated universe to analyze it) in which the metamorphosis of a minimum of two substances, whose structure and atomic bonds are transformed to give way to the birth of new substances, this result is known as a product.
What is chemical energy
When we speak of chemical energy, we refer to that which originates through reactions between atoms of one or more compounds. In other words, it is the internal energy that a substance or a body has, depending on the types of bonds that originate between its chemical components and on the number of energy that can be released from the reactions between them.
This type of energy in chemistry is one of the ways in which energy is revealed, in reality it is always associated with matter and is shown when a specific modification originates in it. This could happen in the presence of heat sources, or of any other substance, which causes an exchange of particles that, usually, causes light, heat and another form of energy from the reaction.
In this way, they are a style of potential energy, included in chemical substances, which once they act in a reaction is immediately transformed into another usable form of energy. In this way, for example, gasoline and other fossil hydrocarbon combustion systems work.
What does blood chemistry study
What is popularly known as blood analysis is really about carrying out a blood chemistry study, which consists of the extraction and centrifugation of a little blood, since different compounds are dissolved in it that make it easier to know how This is the individual's state of health and, in the event that a disease is identified, to be able to define a correct treatment.
It is then about the correct identification and reading of the levels of the chemical compounds that are located in the blood. The study of these components can be very useful, because the amounts of different substances can help to know how the different systems of the body work.
The blood test primarily helps evaluate three to six elements such as urea, uric acid, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. However, depending on the specifications of the doctor who indicates this study, it can be extended up to 32 elements.
What is a chemical attack
It is an act that is carried out against a nation with chemical weapons or those popularly known as nuclear weapons. These events are very serious, since they leave dozens of deaths causing a great global impact where it forces most of the international community to act.
Chemical attacks can be carried out with sarin or dichloro gas, for example, the attack that occurred in the Syrian city, Duma, in April 2018 during a civil war in the country.
Furthermore, another such attack is known in the Syrian region of Ghouta in August 2013 with sarin gas.
How to make a chemical formula
Chemical formulas are an abbreviated representation of substances, they are a kind of chemical key or notation (they are symbolized through conventional signs). Each type of substance that exists has its own formula, that is, a formula, in itself, will serve to represent a single substance.
They are made up of chemical symbols (letters) and subscripts (numbers), which identify the class of molecule present in the substance and its quantity. Although, in some fields of chemistry, such as organic chemistry, compounds show a certain functional and structural recurrence, which helps to recognize fragments of atoms as radicals (molecular unit with free bonds) or functional sets (complete atomic units and closed).
These formulas are represented and recorded by the so-called periodic table of chemical elements.
Examples of chemical phenomena
There are a large number of chemical phenomena, below we will mention some of them:
- Disintegration of a medicine in water.
- Oil extraction.
- Oxidation of a metal.
- Digestion of food.
- Fermentation of wine in vinegar.
- The milk transformed into rennet.
- The reaction of two or more substances (such as the reaction of oxygen and hydrogen to create H2O).
How to describe the chemical properties of a compound
The properties of compounds are different from those of the elements that make them up. Each of the compounds has a different formula and name. This formula shows how many molecules of each element the compound has. For example: the formula for H2O (water), the 2 in the middle indicates that each particle of water has 2 hydrogen atoms. The O symbolizes oxygen, if it does not have a number, then it indicates that each water particle has an oxygen atom.
What is the chemical nomenclature
Chemical nomenclature refers to the rules and regulations that guide the designation (name or identification) of chemical substances.
In chemical nomenclature, organic compounds are those that have carbon, usually linked with oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, boron, nitrogen and some halogens.
The rest of the compounds are determined as inorganic compounds. These are named according to the rules established by the IUPAC.
