Frequently Asked Questions
Usually when amateur chemistry is being discussed, at least one other person will ask one of the following questions:
To answer these questions, we must first discuss a few key points. First of all, to understand chemistry, you have to know what chemistry is. Chemistry is often described as a flash, a bang or a boom. This is completely false, as the majority of chemical reactions do not make a sound. Those that consider themselves well-educated may claim that chemistry is "The study of matter, or chemicals." So far, they are in the lead. However, I would prefer to say that chemistry is the study of change.
Chemistry is the study of changes that matter undergo. It is not hard to change one chemical into another, in fact, you are a living chemical reaction! Yes, you are a chemical reaction that is not bad, dead, high, on fire, or completely dilapadated. Every breath you exhale contains a small amount of CO2 - carbon dioxide gas - a biproduct of a chemical reaction called respiration. The food you are digesting is being broken down by molecules of HCl, hydrochloric acid, and pepsin, another key bodily molecule. All the chemical reactions in your body are essential for survival, ergo wouldn't be alive without them.
So now that you are familiar with what chemistry is, let's talk about this change... change is everywhere. Believe it or not, chemical changes don't always have to involve large explosions or fires, or even toxic gases! Changes can be so quiet that you can't hear it (like an ant digesting its food) or as large as an atomic thermonuclear bomb! Most chemistry experiments involve change more noticeable than ants, but less deadly than the aforementioned bombs.
Chemicals aren't bad. Full stop. Everything that you can touch, hear, smell, taste, or see is a chemical (except for a complete vacuum, AKA outer space). A chemical is defined as anything with a definite chemical structure. Everything is made out of molecules, hence, everything is a chemical. About toxicity, many chemicals are toxic, which is how the term "chemical" is now almost an explitive. All chemicals have an LD-50; this is a number representing the mass of a chemical that it takes to cause 50% of it's victims harm. Some materials have a very low LD-50, like water. Everyone needs water, and being exposed to it doesn't cause too much damage. On the other hand, if I were to fill a room with an asphyxiant or smelly gas, the amount of gas used to make half the people in the room cough or choke would be an LD-50.
Overall, chemistry is a very safe study that has obtained a bad reputation. If you respect the power of chemicals and treat them with respect, nothing will hurt you and you will enjoy an exhilarating, fulfilling journey into the fascinating, intriguing world of chemistry.
Portions of this page reproduced from http://www.sciencehideout.net/is-it-safe/
- Is it safe to be doing this?
- Aren't chemicals bad?
- How long will it be before you die?
- Will it catch fire?
- Will it explode?
To answer these questions, we must first discuss a few key points. First of all, to understand chemistry, you have to know what chemistry is. Chemistry is often described as a flash, a bang or a boom. This is completely false, as the majority of chemical reactions do not make a sound. Those that consider themselves well-educated may claim that chemistry is "The study of matter, or chemicals." So far, they are in the lead. However, I would prefer to say that chemistry is the study of change.
Chemistry is the study of changes that matter undergo. It is not hard to change one chemical into another, in fact, you are a living chemical reaction! Yes, you are a chemical reaction that is not bad, dead, high, on fire, or completely dilapadated. Every breath you exhale contains a small amount of CO2 - carbon dioxide gas - a biproduct of a chemical reaction called respiration. The food you are digesting is being broken down by molecules of HCl, hydrochloric acid, and pepsin, another key bodily molecule. All the chemical reactions in your body are essential for survival, ergo wouldn't be alive without them.
So now that you are familiar with what chemistry is, let's talk about this change... change is everywhere. Believe it or not, chemical changes don't always have to involve large explosions or fires, or even toxic gases! Changes can be so quiet that you can't hear it (like an ant digesting its food) or as large as an atomic thermonuclear bomb! Most chemistry experiments involve change more noticeable than ants, but less deadly than the aforementioned bombs.
Chemicals aren't bad. Full stop. Everything that you can touch, hear, smell, taste, or see is a chemical (except for a complete vacuum, AKA outer space). A chemical is defined as anything with a definite chemical structure. Everything is made out of molecules, hence, everything is a chemical. About toxicity, many chemicals are toxic, which is how the term "chemical" is now almost an explitive. All chemicals have an LD-50; this is a number representing the mass of a chemical that it takes to cause 50% of it's victims harm. Some materials have a very low LD-50, like water. Everyone needs water, and being exposed to it doesn't cause too much damage. On the other hand, if I were to fill a room with an asphyxiant or smelly gas, the amount of gas used to make half the people in the room cough or choke would be an LD-50.
Overall, chemistry is a very safe study that has obtained a bad reputation. If you respect the power of chemicals and treat them with respect, nothing will hurt you and you will enjoy an exhilarating, fulfilling journey into the fascinating, intriguing world of chemistry.
Portions of this page reproduced from http://www.sciencehideout.net/is-it-safe/