Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter and its interactions with energy and itself. Chemistry is the branch of natural sciences concerned mainly with the stucture, composition, properties, reactions, and commercial application of substances.
Disciplines within chemistry are traditionally grouped by the type of matter being studied or the kind of study. These include inorganic chemistry, the study of inorganic matter; organic chemistry, the study of organic matter; biochemistry, the study of substances found in biological organisms; physical chemistry, the energy related studies of chemical systems at macro, molecular and submolecular scales; analytical chemistry, the analysis of material samples to gain an understanding of their chemical composition and structure. Many more specialized disciplines have emerged in recent years, e.g. neurochemistry the chemical study of the nervous system.
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The alkali metals which include sodium and potassium have 1 valence electron which makes them highly electropositive meaning they give up electrons easily. For this reason they always lose an electron when reacting with a more electronegative substance such as chlorine and end up with a +1 charge.
Conversely the halogens which include chlorine and bromine have 7 valence electrons making them highly electronegative elements. This means that they have a strong attraction to electrons and will take an electron from a less electronegative substance in order to complete its octet. An example of this kind of reaction would be the alkali metal sodium reacting with the halogen chlorine to form sodium chloride (commonly known as table salt): Na + Cl -> NaCl.
The alkaline earth metals have 2 valence electrons which makes them more electronegative than the alkali metals but still highly electropositive in comparison to the halogens. For this reason these elements will their two electrons when reacting with a halogen and end up with a charge of +2. An example of a reaction such as this would be magnesium reacting with oxygen to form magnesium oxide: Mg + O -> Mg.
| Polyatomic Ions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Formula | Charge | |
| Acetate | CH3COO- | -1 | |
| Carbonate | CO32- | -2 | |
| Bicarbonate (Hydrogen carbonate) | HCO3- | -1 | |
| Sulphate | SO4 | -2 | |
| Nitrate | NO3- | -1 | |
| Nitrite | NO2- | -1 | |
| Perchlorate | ClO4- | -1 | |
| Chromate | Cr2042- | -2 | |
| Dichromate | Cr2072- | -2 | |
When ionic compounds (salts) are dissolved in water they dissociate into their constituent anions and cations. Not all salts are soluble.
| Solubility Rules | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anion | Cation | Solubility | Example |
| Any anion | Alkali metals (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Fr+) | Soluble | NaCl, KI |
| Any anion | Hydrogen ion (H+) | Soluble | HCl |
| Any anion | Ammonium ion (NH4+ | Soluble | NH4NO3 |
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Intermolecular forces collectively known as Van der Waals forces are attractions between molecules in liquid or gaseous form. Intermolecular forces are extremely weak in comparison to intramolecular forces (ionic bonds, covalent bonds etc.). The 4 main types of intermolecular forces are london dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, ion-dipole forces and hydrogen bonds. The 4 types of interactions range from weakest to strongest respectively.
A-Z Alkaloids
List of all known medicinal, psychoactive and other plant alkaloids benificial to man.
Alchemy is both a philosophy and a pseudoscientific practice with an aim of achieving ultimate wisdom as well as immortality, involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of several substances described as possessing unusual properties. The practical aspect of alchemy generated the basics of modern inorganic chemistry, namely concerning procedures, equipment and the identification and use of many current substances.
Elemental Symbols
Symbols used in alchemy to denote the elements.
A-Z Medicinal Compounds
List of all known medicinal compounds.
Vitamins
Vitamins are nutrients essential to animal life.
Psychoactive Compounds
List of all known psychoactive compounds.
Research Chemicals
List of research chemicals.
Smart Drugs
List of nootropic compounds.
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their origin, nature, properties and effects upon living organisms. It is the medical science that deals with the discovery, composition, identification, biological/physiological effects, uses and manufacture of drugs.
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Categories
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry is the measure of the exact number of reactants and moles involved in a chemical reaction. In chemistry the [I]reactants[/I] or [I]reage...
Chromatography
Chromatography is a set of methods used to separate the various compounds present in a mixture from each other by passing the mixture through medium w...
Intermolecular Forces
Intermolecular forces are the attraction/repulsion forces the molecules exert on each other. They are far weaker than [i]intramolecular forces[/i] suc...
Gas Laws
The gas laws are laws relating pressure, volume, temperature and number of particles present in a gas.
Redox Reactions
A redox reaction is short for an [B]oxidation-reduction[/B] reaction. In chemistry oxidation refers to the loss of electrons and reduction refers to t...
Fats And Oils
The substances referred to as fats and oils are non polar lipid substances composed known as [I]triglycerides[/I]. A triglyceride is a compound compos...
Articles
Chemistry
Psychedelic Chemistry by Michael Valentine Smith
The whole field of psychedelics, including areas of botany,
chemistry, and pharmacology, is still in a primitive state. Thousands of
potential psychedelics have been synthesized which have not been tested on
man, some of the more promising of which are indicated in these pages.
External Links
• Home Chemistry - Wikipedia style site devoted to amateur chemistry.
"The spread of civilisation may be likened to a fire; First, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power."
- Nikola Tesla