Outline of chemistry facts for kids

Chemistry is the exciting science that explores everything around us! It studies matter, which is anything that takes up space and has weight. Chemistry looks at what matter is made of, how it's put together, and how it changes when it reacts with other things. It's all about atoms, the tiny building blocks of everything, and how they connect to form different substances.

What is Chemistry?

Chemistry is a huge and important field. Think of it as:

• A way of learning – It has its own schools, degrees, and special groups for scientists.
• A part of science – It's a recognized area of study with its own words and rules. Many science magazines publish new discoveries in chemistry.
  • A natural science – It helps us understand the rules of the natural world through experiments and careful observation.
    • A physical science – It studies things that are not alive.
    • A biological science – It also studies how chemicals work inside living things, like our bodies!

Main Types of Chemistry

Chemistry is divided into several main areas, each focusing on different aspects of matter.

Physical Chemistry

This branch looks at the basic physical rules behind chemical systems. It explores how energy moves during chemical changes.

• Chemical kinetics – This studies how fast chemical reactions happen.
• Electrochemistry – This looks at chemical reactions that involve electricity, like in batteries.
• Photochemistry – This studies chemical reactions that happen when light is absorbed.
• Quantum chemistry – This uses advanced physics to understand how atoms and molecules behave.
• Spectroscopy – This studies how light and other energy interact with matter.
• Thermochemistry – This focuses on the heat changes that happen during chemical reactions.

Organic Chemistry

This is the study of organic compounds, which are special chemicals mainly built around carbon atoms. Carbon is amazing because it can form so many different kinds of molecules!

• Biochemistry – This is a super important field that studies the chemicals and reactions inside living things. It helps us understand how our bodies work!
  • Neurochemistry – This looks at the chemicals that control our brains and nervous systems.
• Medicinal chemistry – This uses chemistry to create new medicines and drugs.

Inorganic Chemistry

This branch studies all chemical compounds that are not mainly based on carbon. It includes things like metals, salts, and minerals.

• Materials chemistry – This focuses on making and understanding new materials with useful properties, like stronger plastics or new types of glass.

Nuclear Chemistry

This area studies the center of atoms, called the nucleus, and how they change. It includes things like radioactivity and how elements can turn into other elements.

Analytical Chemistry

This is all about figuring out what a substance is made of and how much of each part is present. Analytical chemists use special tools and methods to test materials.

Other Cool Chemistry Fields

• Astrochemistry – Studies chemicals in space, like in stars and planets.
• Computational chemistry – Uses computers to solve chemistry problems and predict how chemicals will behave.
• Environmental chemistry – Studies how chemicals affect our air, water, and soil, and how human activities impact the environment.
• Green chemistry – Aims to design chemical processes that are safer and create less pollution.
• Polymer chemistry – Studies polymers, which are large molecules like plastics and rubber.
• Chemical engineering – Uses chemistry and physics to design processes that turn raw materials into useful products.
• Nanotechnology – Works with matter at a tiny, tiny scale (like atoms and molecules) to create new materials and devices.
• Pharmacology – Studies how drugs affect living things.
• Toxicology – Studies how harmful chemicals affect living things.

History of Chemistry

The story of chemistry is long and fascinating!

• Early Ideas: Before modern chemistry, there was Alchemy, which was a mix of science, magic, and philosophy. Alchemists tried to turn common metals into gold and find ways to live forever.
• Key Discoveries: Over time, scientists started to use experiments and careful measurements. This led to big breakthroughs, like understanding that air is made of different gases.
• The Periodic Table: One of the biggest achievements was the creation of the periodic table by Dmitriy Mendeleyev. This table organizes all the known chemical elements and helps us understand their properties.
• Modern Chemistry: In the last century, chemistry has grown incredibly, leading to new medicines, materials, and technologies that shape our world.

Important Chemicals

• Periodic table – This chart lists all the known chemical elements.
• List of biomolecules – These are the chemicals found in living things, like DNA and proteins.
• List of inorganic compounds – These are compounds not based on carbon.

Atomic Theory

Our understanding of atoms has changed a lot over time!

• Atomism – The ancient idea that everything is made of tiny, unbreakable pieces.
• Plum pudding model – An early idea that atoms were like a "pudding" of positive charge with tiny negative "plums" (electrons) scattered inside.
• Rutherford model – This model showed that atoms have a tiny, dense center called a nucleus, with electrons orbiting around it.
• Bohr model – This improved Rutherford's model by suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus in specific energy levels.

Thermochemistry Basics

Thermochemistry is all about the heat involved in chemical reactions.

• Exothermic – A reaction that releases heat, making its surroundings warmer. Think of a burning fire!
• Endothermic – A reaction that absorbs heat, making its surroundings cooler. An instant cold pack is an example.
• Heat – A form of energy related to how much atoms and molecules are moving.
• Joule – A unit used to measure energy, including heat.
• Activation energy – The minimum energy needed for a chemical reaction to start.
• Catalyst – A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up itself.

Thermochemical Equations

These are chemical equations that also show the heat involved.

• Example 1: H₂O(l) + 240kJ → H₂O(g)
  • This means it takes 240 kilojoules of heat to turn liquid water (l) into water vapor (g). It's an endothermic process.
• Example 2: N₂ + 3H₂ → 2NH₃ + 92kJ
  • This means that when nitrogen and hydrogen combine to form ammonia, 92 kilojoules of heat are released. It's an exothermic process.

Famous Chemists

Many brilliant scientists have shaped our understanding of chemistry:

• Marie Curie – Famous for her work on radioactivity and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
• John Dalton – Developed an early atomic theory.
• Dmitriy Mendeleyev – Created the periodic table of elements.
• Alfred Nobel – Inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• Louis Pasteur – Known for pasteurization and vaccines.
• Linus Pauling – A pioneer in quantum chemistry and molecular biology.
• Ahmed Zewail – Studied chemical reactions happening extremely fast.

Chemistry Resources

• Scientific journal – Where scientists publish their new research findings.
• List of scientific journals in chemistry – A list of magazines specifically for chemistry research.
• Scientific American – A popular science magazine that often features chemistry topics.

Useful Chemistry Lists

• List of chemical elements – Shows the name, symbol, and atomic number for every element.
• List of minerals – A list of naturally occurring solid substances.
• List of compounds – Lists various chemical compounds.
• Periodic table – A visual guide to all the elements.

See also

• Outline of biochemistry
• Outline of physics