The Chemical World 1
Chapter Overview
In this chapter, an understanding of the history of chemical investigation is presented. It
is hoped that this will help the student understand the history of experimentation and scientific
inquiry such that he or she feels a real-world association with the material to be covered later in
the course. A few examples that the student may be familiar with are presented.
Lecture Outline
1.1 Soda Pop Fizz
A. “Pop”: Higher pressure on the inside than on the outside
B. “Sweet”: sugar water
C. “Fizz”: CO2 coming out of solution
1.2 Chemicals Compose Ordinary Things
Learning Objective: Recognize that chemicals make up virtually everything we come into
1.3 All Things Are Made of Atoms and Molecules
1.4 The Scientific Method: How Chemists Think
Learning Objective: Identify and understand the key characteristics of the scientific
1.5 A Beginning Chemist: How to Succeed
A. Curiosity
B. Calculation
C. Commitment
Chemical Principle Teaching Ideas
Matter and Molecules
Go around the room and point out how everything around the students, including the
room and their notebooks, are made of matter. Emphasizing the real-world association with what
is covered in lecture is always a good idea.
The Scientific Method
Using the scientific method to cover a simple concept such as putting together a
children’s puzzle or baking a cake will help them understand the method, which is most
important here.
Success as a Beginning Chemist
If the students are to do well in this course, they must be willing to expand their horizons
outside the classroom and try to use everyday interactions with their world to help understand the
concepts to be covered.
Suggested Demonstrations
Open a can of soda in the students’ presence and talk about the myriad of reactions and
interactions taking place. The more often students associate chemical principles with real life
events, the better.
Burning of Magnesium, Chemical Demonstrations 1:38, Shakhashiri, B.Z. University of
Guided Inquiry Ideas
Below are a few example questions that students answer in the guided inquiry activities provided
in the Guided Activity Workbook.
In a grammatically correct sentence, describe the relationship between laws and theories.
The way the terms are used in science, are laws more certain than theories? Explain.