1. Chemistry

2. Alchemy vs. Chemistry The Alchemist The Alchemist’s Dream Zinc Pennies
Pure Science
Applied Science
Aluminum Mining
Corning Glass
Fertilizers ( )
Areas of Chemistry
Stereotypes of Chemists
A Career in Chemistry
Forensic Scientist
The Scope of Chemistry
Starting Salaries

3. Frankly, I’d be satisfied
The Alchemist
Frankly, I’d be satisfied
if I could turn gold
into lead!
Alchemy was the search for the philosophers stone, a liquid that would change cheap metals into gold.
Practiced during the Middle Ages (-500 A.D. to –1300 A.D.)
Alchemists attempted to change cheap base metals into gold. This process is called transmutation.
“The word alchemy comes from the Arabic al kimia, meaning Egyptian art. The tradition of alchemy spreads from Alexandria in Egypt and its language was Arabic.”
Eyewitness Science “Chemistry” , Dr. Ann Newmark, DK Publishing, Inc., 1993, pg 13
Alchemy represents an amalgamation of certain chemical technologies and philosophical speculations.
Aaron J. Ihde, The Development of Modern Chemistry, Dover Publishing, 1984 pg 11

4. DEMONSTRATION OF CHANGING COPPER INTO GOLD
The Alchemist’s Dream
COPPER “SILVER” “GOLD”
DEMONSTRATION OF CHANGING COPPER INTO GOLD
First explain that you have discovered a technique to turn a common penny into GOLD.
The alchemist made the mistake of attempting to do this in one step – it takes two steps to succeed!
Step 1> dissolve “magic blue earth” (copper (II) chloride) in water.
Step 2> add a small amount of iron filings into the solution and stir.
Step 3> point out that the iron filings have changed into copper (transmutation)
NOTE COLOR CHANGE: gray  red-brown (copper) color
Next: take a readily available source of copper – a penny.
Step 4> Show that you can also turn the penny into silver
by zinc plating the penny in a bath of finely powdered zinc and sodium hydroxide.
Step 5> Slowly heat the “silver” penny over a bunsen burner and it will turn to “gold”.
In truth – you have created an alloy of copper and zinc we call brass. The alchemists believed they had changed copper into gold. With testing of density they realized they did not make this transmutation.
Density of copper =
Density of gold =
Iron is a more “active” metal than copper and will replace the copper ion is solution.
Single replacement reaction. A + BC  B + AC
2 Fe CuCl2  3 Cu FeCl3
Pennies were actually “silver” in The pennies were minted in zinc. The copper metal was needed for making bullet shells.
AVICENNA’S (980 – 1037) A Persian Philosopher LEGACY
The word alchemy comes from the Arabic al kimia, meaning Egyptian art. The tradition of alchemy spread from Alexandria in Egypt and its language was Arabic.
Alchemy was closely linked to astrology, and the seven metals known to the alchemists shared the symbols of the seven heavenly bodies.
The use of symbols for chemicals arose because of the alchemists’ desire to keep their discoveries secret.
Zinc coated Brass = Copper + Zinc

5. Zinc Pennies Before 1982, all pennies were Copper was used to make
solid copper (except 1943).
Copper was used to make
bullet shells in WW II. By
1943, the supply of copper
metal was in short supply. The
US government did not want
to ‘waste’ copper on making
pennies.
Pennies were made with steel
metal. They looked silver.
A shortage of copper drove the
price of copper up in the early
1980s. If melted down, the copper
could be sold for more than one
cent.
After 1982, pennies were made
from zinc. A thin coating of
copper was pressed on the zinc.

6. Alchemy vs. Chemistry Different Alike Different Topic Topic Chemistry
Alchemists used trial-and-error method.
Chemists used scientific method.
Both wanted to understand the physical world around them better.
Both strived for ways to cheat death (immortality) – the chemist with pharmaceutical drugs.
Alchemists were the forerunners of modern chemists.
“The history of alchemy is a history of men who were, on one hand, scientists, and on the other hand, dreamers. There is no way to separate the practical chemistry of the alchemists from their occasional fanciful excursions into the unknown.
The early craftsmen who were able to mix a little bit of this with a drop or two of that and come up with startling new materials began to think of what they had done. Wouldn’t it be possible, they may have said to themselves, to change common metals into gold or silver? And, if they could find a magic elixer, might they be able to prolong life?
These men were protected by the princes, kings, and popes of their day. Men of power, it would seem, always need more wealth. And more health.
Alchemy was a medieval, metallurgical, superstition-laden, chemical science with touches of sorcery, religion, and experimentation. But the alchemists laid down the groundwork for modern science.
The situation was complex. And in the ranks of the alchemists were crooks, quacks, and frauds. But there were many honest scientists, too. This is their story – the story of how some men tried to turn magic into science.”
Thomas G. Aylesworth, The Alchemists Magic into Science Addison-Wesley, 1973, pg

7. “I think you’ve crossed that thin line
between transmuting and cooking.”

8. Paracelsus Man consisted of three elements SALT represented the body
SULFUR the soul
MERCURY the spirit
He thought he could rearrange the amounts of the
elements to change man.
“*Paracelsus (born in 1493) was a wanderer who could not get along with his fellow man. Biochemist, surgeon, physician, magician, and alchemist – this was Paracelsus. He was one of the first men to take the folklore and witchcraft of the past and use it in modern medical science. And in searching for the truth, he was ridiculed, taunted, and exiled. He was a man who said: “Medicine is not merely a science but an art. It does not consist in compounding pills and drugs of all kinds, but deals with the processes of life…The character of the physician may act more powerfully upon the patient than all the drugs employed.”
The medical profession waged an unending war against this man. The physicians of the time were so conservative that they could never forgive him because of three things. First, he would not admit that there were any cures superior to his – other than nature. Second, he invented his own medicines, turning his back on the superstitious remedies of the medical profession of the time. Third, and probably the worst, he cured his patients with his new-fangled methods.
Paracelsus also described the “sap of life” (blood circulation) more than 100 years before William Harvey discovered it. He invented a new type of smelling salts, a very effective sleeping potion, and developed a blood purifier that was rich in iron. Not only these, but he also discovered laudanum, an opium compound, and was the first physician to use it to kill pain, and the first man to use mercury in the treatment of venereal disease.”
Thomas G. Aylesworth, The Alchemists Magic into Science Addison-Wesley, 1973, pg
*Paracelsus =Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, a powerful, influential alchemist took the name Paracelsus as an adult after the Roman Celsus who had written a complete history of Greek science.
The Arabs called al-iksir a term from which we derive the word “elixir”.
Charles H. Corwin, Introductory Chemistry, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005, pg 6
He desired immortality and searched for a mystical
elixir of life.

9. The Greeks believed there were four elements.
The Beginnings
early practical chemistry:
household goods, weapons,
soap, wine, basic medicine
The Greeks believed there
were four elements. ~ D D
___ D
___
earth air fire water

10. Timeline Greeks (Democratus ~450 BC) Discontinuous theory of matter
Issac Newton
( )
ALCHEMY
400 BC
300 AD
1000
2000
Greeks
(Aristotle ~350 BC))
Continuous
theory of matter
American
Independence
(1776)

11. Allegedly, this substance would turn cheap metals into gold.
Alchemy
In Europe,
alchemy was
the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone
(the elixir, the Sorcerer’s Stone).
Allegedly, this substance would turn
cheap metals into gold.

12. changing one substance into another
transmutation
changing one substance into another
COPPER
GOLD 
Philosopher’s Stone
In ordinary chemical reactions, we cannot
transmute elements into different elements.

13. Alchemy After that chemistry was ruled by alchemy.
They believed that that could take any cheap metals and turn them into gold.
Alchemists were almost like magicians.
Elixirs, physical immortality

14. Alchemy
Alchemical symbols for substances…
. . .
. . .
GOLD
SILVER
COPPER
IRON
SAND
transmutation: changing one substance into another D
In ordinary chemistry, we cannot transmute elements.

15. Alchemy was practiced in many regions of the
world, including China and the Middle East.
Alchemy arrived in western Europe
around the year 500 C.E.
Modern chemistry evolved from alchemy.

16. Contributions of alchemists: Information about elements
- the elements mercury, sulfur, and antimony were discovered
- properties of some elements
Develop lab apparatus / procedures / experimental techniques
- alchemists learned how to prepare acids.
- developed several alloys
- new glassware

17. What is Chemistry?
the study of matter
and its changes

18. Areas of Chemistry Organic Inorganic Analytical Physical Biochemistry
The study of most carbon-containing compounds
The study of all substances not classified as organic,
mainly those compounds that do not contain carbon
The identification of the components and composition
of materials
The five areas of chemistry listed: organic, inorganic, analytical, physical and biochemistry are the main areas of chemistry. Many people work as chemist in related fields – law, pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, sales.
The study of the properties, changes, and relationships
between energy and matter
The study of substances and processes occurring in
living things

19. Areas of Chemistry organic physical the study of carbon-
containing
compounds
measuring physical
properties of
substances
e.g., the melting
point of gold
inorganic
everything except
carbon
e.g., compounds
containing metals
biochemistry
the chemistry of
living things

20. Stereotypes of Chemists
Male
Middle-aged
White
Lab coat
Nerd / Geek
This slide shows what the typical person envisions when they are asked to tell you what a chemist looks like. This stereotypical view is not accurate. Chemists come from all walks of life and are male and female.

21. Careers in Chemistry research (new products)
production (quality control)
development (manufacturing)
chemical sales
software engineering
teaching

22. A Career in the Field of Chemistry
Research Chemist
Chemist who works in Development
A CAREER IN THE FIELD OF CHEMISTRY
Research Chemist – discover new products and materials
e.g. “mole money”
For every new pharmaceutical drug that makes it to market, 10,000 other compounds don’t.
A new drug requires on average. 10 years of research and development (R & D).
Education: PhD, masters or bachelors degree.
Chemists who work in Development – design large-scale production equipment and facilities for the manufacture of products and materials.
Education: Bachelors or Associates degree
Production chemists and technicians – monitor production processes to ensure that manufactured products meet quality standards.
Education: Bachelors or Associates degree (doesn’t need to be in chemistry).

23. Production Chemists and Technicians
Other Jobs for Chemists
Chemical sales, software engineering, patent law, teaching

24. The skills you will develop by an earnest
study of chemistry will help you in any
career field.

25. The Scope of Chemistry bulk chemical manufacturing
petroleum products
pharmaceuticals
synthetic fibers
acids, bases, fertilizers
fuels, oils, greases, asphalt
1 in 10,000 new products
gets FDA approval
nylon, polyester, rayon, spandex

26. Research Basic Research Applied Research Technological Development
Carried out for the sake of increasing knowledge
Driven by curiosity or a desire to know
Roy Plunkett ‘discovers’ Teflon is a nonstick material
Applied Research
Carried out to solve a specific problem
Safer refrigerant that does not harm ozone layer
Technological Development
Production and use of products that improve our quality of life
Computer chips, biodegradable materials, catalytic converters for automobiles

27. Forensic Scientist Use science to solve crimes Arson investigation
Arson is suspected in the burning of this house.
Use science to solve crimes
Arson investigation
DNA fingerprinting
Luminol test for blood
State Crime Lab - Forensics Division (Springfield and Champaign, Illinois)
Gasoline, paint, and bottled
gas are extremely volatile.

28. The Scope of Chemistry
The chemical industry has a large effect on our lives.
bulk chemical manufacturing
synthetic fibers
petroleum products
pharmaceuticals
ALL fields of endeavor are affected by chemistry.

29. Starting Yearly Salaries
Chemist
BS $45,400
MS $53,500
PhD $66,000
Related Occupations: Chemical Engineering, biological scientist,
chemical technologist, physicists, medical scientists
vs. Communications BS MS
PhD
Physician
Resident $30,753 - $41,895
Earning $120,000 - $240,000
1998 Average Salaries

30. are affected by chemistry.
All fields of endeavor
are affected by chemistry.