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Chemistry LibreTexts

1: The Chemical World

  • Page ID
    531399
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    • 1.1: Chemicals Compose Ordinary Things
      Chemistry is the branch of science dealing with the structure, composition, properties, and the reactive characteristics of matter. Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Thus, chemistry is the study of literally everything around us—the liquids that we drink, the gases we breathe, the composition of everything from the plastic case on your phone to the earth beneath your feet. Moreover, chemistry is the study of the transformation of matter.
    • 1.2: The Scientific Method
    • 1.3: What is Matter?
      Matter is anything that has mass and volume (takes up space). For most common objects that we deal with every day, it is fairly simple to demonstrate that they have mass and take up space. You might be able to imagine, however, the difficulty for people several hundred years ago to demonstrate that air has mass and volume. Air (and all other gases) are invisible to the eye, have very small masses compared to equal amounts of solids and liquids, and are quite easy to compress (change volume).
    • 1.4: Classification of Matter
      Matter can be described with both physical properties and chemical properties. Matter can be identified as an element, a compound, or a mixture.
    • 1.5: Differences in Matter- Physical and Chemical Properties
      A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the identity of the substance. Physical properties include color, density, hardness, melting points, and boiling points. A chemical property describes the ability of a substance to undergo a specific chemical change.
    • 1.6: Energy
      When we speak of using energy, we are really referring to transferring energy from one place to another. Although energy is used in many kinds of different situations, all of these uses rely on energy being transferred in one of two ways—energy can be transferred as heat or as work.
    • 1.7: Energy and Chemical and Physical Change
      Phase changes involve changes in energy. All chemical reactions involve changes in energy. This may be a change in heat, electricity, light, or other forms of energy. Reactions that absorb energy are endothermic. Reactions that release energy are exothermic.
    • 1.8: Temperature - Random Motion of Molecules and Atoms
      Three different scales are commonly used to measure temperature: Fahrenheit (expressed as °F), Celsius (°C), and Kelvin (K).
    • 1.9: States of Matter
      A state of matter is one of the distinct forms that different phases of matter take on. Three states of matter are readily observable in everyday life: solid, liquid, and gas. Each state has characteristic properties that are dictate by the nature of the matter and the conditions on which it exists.
    • 1.10: Phase Changes
      There is an energy change associated with any phase change. There is an energy change associated with any phase change.
    • 1.11: Conservation of Mass - There is No New Matter
      The law of conservation of mass states that matter can not be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. So the mass of the product equals the mass of the reactant. The reactant is the chemical interaction of two or more elements to make a new substance, and the product is the substance that is formed as the result of a chemical reaction. Matter and its corresponding mass may not be able to be created or destroyed, but can change forms to other substances like liquids, gases, and solids.
    • 1.12: Basic Definitions
      Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter and energy. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Matter can be described in terms of physical properties and chemical properties. Physical properties and chemical properties of matter can change. Matter is composed of elements and compounds. Combinations of different substances are called mixtures. Elements can be described as metals, nonmetals, and semimetals.


    1: The Chemical World is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Marisa Alviar-Agnew & Henry Agnew.

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