Chemistry Matters

Hello, my name is Lir Afiq. Get ready for my ‘CHEMISTRY COMIC’.  REMEMBER WHAT IT SAYS NEXT TO THEM. LOOK OUT FOR THESE MEDALS.

...what is chemistry?...and why is chemistry important? Let’s figure out... KAPOW!!!

First of all, what is chemistry? Chemistry is about MATTER and the CHANGES to it. Well, chemistry is a special kind of science. 

So, what is matter?  It is everything we can touch, see, smell and taste. EVERYTHING is made of matter.

  Matter has MASS. This is measured in WEIGHT. Matter takes up SPACE. This is measured in VOLUME. BOOM!!!

So, how is everything made of matter? Atoms are tiny. You cannot see them. Well, the smallest piece of matter is called an ATOM. ATOM (not real size) You would need 50 million atoms in a row to measure 1cm on your ruler.

ATOMS make MOLECULES MATTER make There are different types of atoms. Molecules with the same type of atoms are called ELEMENTS. Molecules with different types of atoms are called COMPOUNDS. ATOMS join together to make MOLECULES! MOLECULES make up MATTER! 

OO Oxygen (O2) H Water H2O H O We breathe in OXYGEN (O). This is also called O 2 because oxygen molecules have 2 oxygen atoms. We drink WATER. This is also called H 2 O because water molecules have 2 special atoms called hydrogen (H) and 1 oxygen (O) atom. A couple of examples....

Hmmm... where did matter come from? 1. In the early days of the universe, only Hydrogen (H) atoms existed 2. These first Hydrogen (H) atoms joined up to make whirling gas clouds. 4. Inside these stars, the Hydrogen (H) atoms made other kinds of atoms like Helium (He). This made extra energy. 6. These atoms slowly joined up to make planets, just like Earth and all living things on it. He H 5. Some of these stars exploded. These are called supernovas. These shot out new kinds of atoms into space, like Oxygen (O), Carbon (C), Gold (Au), Iron (Fe) and many more. 3. These clouds slowly became thicker and became stars, just like our sun.

So...we are made from exploding stars! Exploding Stars  WOW!!!

There are 3 main STATES OF MATTER:  SOLIDS (a piece of wood is an example) GASES (oxygen is an example) LIQUIDS (water is an example)    There are some other states of matter, such as PLASMA. There is even something mysterious called DARK MATTER in space. This is invisible.

MELTING: when a SOLID heats up it eventually changes to a LIQUID EVAPORATING: when a LIQUID heats up it eventually changes to a GAS CONDENSATION: when a GAS cools down it eventually changes to a LIQUID FREEZING: when a LIQUID cools down it eventually changes to a SOLID LIQUIDS (WATER) SOLIDS (ICE)    GASES (STEAM) Matter can CHANGE states!

Now, why is chemistry important? Well, let’s find out.

 Did you know... CHEMISTRY MAKES US! Most of our body is made of water. Our body is like a LABORATORY. There are lots of chemical changes happening all the time. These make us, keep us alive, make us grow and control our movements and feelings. H Water (H2O) H O 

Did you know... WE USE CHEMISTRY 24 HOURS A DAY!  Some of these are used for making houses, the soap and toothpaste we use in the morning, our school uniform, the petrol in our cars, our books, our computers, our televisions and our beds. Scientists use chemistry to make new MATERIALS.    

Did you know... CHEMISTRY GIVES US SAFE DRINKING WATER!  Scientists put a special chemical called CHLORINE (Cl) into water to destroy bacteria that live in it. Some parts of the world have very little rain for fresh water. Scientists take the salt out of sea water to make fresh water. This is called DESALINATION. ZAP!!!

 Did you know... CHEMISTRY GIVES US MORE FOOD! This remakes natural elements in soil like Nitrogen (N) and Calcium (Ca) that have been carried away by rain or destroyed by fire or too much farming. Scientists use chemistry to help FERTILISE soil and make it better for growing crops.

Did you know... CHEMISTRY KEEPS US HEALTHY!  Scientists use chemistry to create MEDICINES. These help to cure diseases and keep us healthy. Scientists use chemistry to make new kinds of ENERGY that are less harmful to our environment. This is called renewable energy and uses power from the sun, or wind or sea waves.   

So, chemistry is all around us. It helps us in lots of ways. Chemistry is important. CHEMISTRY MATTERS.

 I HOPE YOU WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THESE MEDALS. Now, it is time for a fun quiz!

First part of the fun quiz is about ‘What is chemistry?’. 1.Chemistry is about MATTER and the CHANGES to it. 2. EVERYTHING is made of matter. 3. ATOMS make MOLECULES and MOLECULES make MATTER. 4. GASES, LIQUIDS and SOLIDS are STATES of MATTER. TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE For each point, please pick TRUE or FALSE.

Second part of the fun quiz is about ‘Why is chemistry important?’. 5. Chemistry MAKES US. 6. We use chemistry 24 HOURS A DAY. 7. Chemistry GIVES US SAFE DRINKING WATER. 8. Chemistry GIVES US MORE FOOD. TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE TRUEFALSE For each point, please pick TRUE or FALSE. 9. Chemistry KEEPS US HEALTHY. TRUEFALSE

 I hope you enjoyed my ‘chemistry comic’. GOODBYE!