Introduction to

Chemistr y
CHGO 15
Course Objectives
• History of Chemistry
• Branches of Chemistry
• Pure Research and Applied
Research in Chemistry
• Scientific Methods applied to
Chemistry
 Introduction

If you think about it, the history of mankind is the

history of chemistry. Humans have always thought
of how to identify, use and alter the materials
around them.
Ancient Greeks
• They believed that four elements comprised
everything, earth, water, air and fire.
• Aristotle added aether, an element to which he
believed the space is made of.
Leucippus (4th Century BCE)
• Father of atomism
• Proposed that the world is
compose of an infinite
number of solid,
indestructible, indivisible
atoms that interact with one
another
• Democritus’ mentor
Democritus (4th Century BCE)
• First coined the term “atomos”,
meaning indivisible
• Together with his mentor
Leucippus proposed that
different kinds of atoms are
held together by different kind
of links.
Jābir ibn Hayyān (8th Century)
• First to use the scientific
method to study material
• Thought to be the author of
22 scrolls describing
methods such as distillation,
crystallization, sublimation
and evaporation.
Alchemist in the Middle Ages and
Renaissance (15th – 16th Century)
• Major goal is to convert certain
materials into other more
valuable materials (especially
gold) in a process called
transmutation.
• Pursuit of the philosopher’s
stone and the elixir of life.
• Laid the groundwork for many
chemical processes.
Robert Boyle (1637-1691)
• Developed the basic theories
on the behavior of gases,
Boyle’s law.
• Define element as a
substance that cannot be
broken by chemical means.
Joseph Priestly (1733-1804)
• Discovered oxygen gas, carbon
monoxide, and nitrous oxide
• Found that many carbon
containing materials burns in
an oxygen-rich environment in
a process called combustion.
• Found that the by product of
the fermentation process is the
same one produced in
combustion.
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794)
• Regarded as the “Father of Modern
Chemistry”
• Showed that in a chemical reactions,
the mass of the substances that react
equals the mass of the products that
are formed, also known as law of
conservation of mass
John Dalton (1766-1844)

• Proposed the first

modern atomic theory
which can be
summarized as follows:
Dalton’s Atomic Theory
• All matter is composed of tiny indivisible
particles called atoms.
• All atoms of an element are identical in mass
and chemical properties, whereas atoms of
different elements differ in mass and
fundamental chemical properties.
Dalton’s Atomic Theory
• A chemical compound is a substance that always
contains the same atoms in the same ratio.
• In chemical reactions, atoms from one or more
compounds or elements redistribute or rearrange
in relation to other atoms to form one or more
new compounds. Atoms themselves do not
undergo a change of identity in chemical
reactions.
Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856)
• Noted for his molecular
theory known as
Avogadro’s law.
• Avogadro’s Number =
6.02214076 × 10 23
Alessandro Volta (1745-1827)

• Inventor of the electric

battery and the discoverer
of methane
Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

• Noted for works on

electromagnetic
induction, diamagnetism
and electrolysis.
Joseph John Thompson (1856-1940)
• Discovered electron
through his experiments
with cathode rays
• Proposed the Plum-
Pudding model
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)
• Discovered proton and
the nucleus through his
Gold-foil experiment.
• Proposed the Nuclear
model
Neils Bohr (1885-1961)

• Proposed the Bohr’s model

or the Planetary model
Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961)
• Proposed the Quantum
model
• Applied the
Heisenberg's uncertainty
principle on his model
Other notable scientists

Humphry Davy – discovered sodium, potassium,

calcium, boron, magnesium, barium, strontium
Charles Goodyear – discovered vulcanization
Louis Pasteur – pasteurization
Alfred Nobel - dynamite
Other notable scientists

C.W. Scheele – discovered chlorine and nitrogen

J.W. Hyatt – produce the first plastic
Leo Baekeland – first synthetic resin
Branches of
Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic
properties, atomic properties, and phenomena in
chemical systems. As examples, a physical chemist
may study the rates of chemical reactions, the energy
transfers that occur in reactions, or the physical
structure of materials at the molecular level.
Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is the study of chemicals
containing carbon. Carbon is one of the most
abundant elements on Earth and can form a
tremendously vast number of chemicals (over
twenty million so far). Most chemicals found in
every living organism are based on carbon.
Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is the study of chemicals that
do not, in general, contain carbon. Inorganic chemicals
are commonly found in rocks and minerals. One
current important area of inorganic chemistry deals
with the design and properties of materials involved in
energy and information technology.
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the study of the
composition of matter. It focuses on separating,
identifying, and quantifying chemicals in samples
of matter. An analytical chemist may use complex
instruments to analyze an unknown material, in
order to determine its various components.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the study of chemical
processes that occur in living things. Research may
cover basic cellular processes up to understanding
disease states, so that better treatments can be
developed.
Pure and Applied
Chemistry
Pure Chemistry

• Primarily concerns with advancing the

mankind’s understanding of chemistry.
• Focuses on the theoretical aspects of
chemistry
Applied Chemistry

• Primarily concerns with applying the

theoretical principles of chemistry for practical
purposes.
• Focuses on the direct application or goal of
chemistry.
Scientific Method
Scientific Method
Thank you for listening!