Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook

A chemical view of matter
atoms, elements, and the nucleus

On this page:
How to read and chemical equations
Equations involving ions
Limiting-reactant problems
Concept Map

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> A useful reference on this topic: the Wikipedia site on Quantum Theory

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The earliest record we have of the beginnings of science centered around speculations about the nature of matter: is it "continuous" and indivisible, or is it made up of discrete parts that are themselves indivisible—"uncuttable"— and thus "atoms"?

But these ideas, developed by the Greek philosophers Demokritos, Plato, and others around 400 bc, were philosophy, not science.

It was not until about 1600 that the idea of the "scientific method", and thus of science as we know it, was proposed (mainly by Francis Bacon), and it took another two hundred years before people actually started doing science.

Astronomy was the first field to develop as a natural science... but only slowly! Around 1500, Nicolas Copernicus proposed that a heliocentric (earth-goes-around-the-sun) theory could better explain what little was then known about planetary motions than could the prevailing Ptolemaic system.

Later, in 1610 Galileo made extensive observations with the just-invented telescope that demonstrated the heliocentric solar system beyond doubt. However, the world was not ready to accept his conclusions, which contradicted Church dogma: he was imprisoned and tortured by the Inquisition, and his writings (along with those of Copernicus and Kepler) remained banned by the Church until 1853.

Chemistry is one of the sciences. More specifically, chemistry is one of the so-called natural sciences.

What is a natural science?

Astronomy - Geology - Mathematics - Physiology - Psychology

Which one of these is not a natural science?

(Think about it, and then click here to see if you have the right answer!)

Although scientific knowledge is based on observation and experiment, knowing what to look for and how to interpret the information call upon the human qualities of intuition, imagination, and creativity. In this respect, science and the other creative arts have much in common!

It is important to understand that scientific knowledge does not suddenly appear out of nowhere, pre-packaged, as "revealed truth". Instead, it progresses through various stages, ranging from mere speculation to established principle.

In the next few questions we will explore some of these stages, using as an example the question of why atoms join together through "chemical bonds" to form molecules.

Fact: Bodies that possess opposite electrical charges exert an attractive effect on each other.

Conclusion: The attractive forces that cause atoms to join togther to form molecules may be based on the attraction of unlike electrical charges.

Is this conclusion best described as a hypothesis, a law, or a theory?

(Think about this, and then click here to see if your answer is correct)

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What you need to know

Make sure you thoroughly understand the following essential ideas which have been presented above. It is especially imortant that you know the precise meanings of all the highlighted terms in the context of this topic.

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Concept Map