INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY

Concepts and Critical Thinking

Sixth Edition by Charles H. Corwin

Chapter 1
Introduction to
Chemistry
by Christopher Hamaker

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Evolution of Chemistry

The Greeks believed

in four basic
elements:
1. Earth

2. Air
3. Fire
4. Water

All substances were

combinations of
these four basic
elements.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Scientific Investigations
Science is the methodical exploration of nature
followed by a logical explanation of the
observations.
Scientific investigation entails the following
activities:

Planning an investigation
Carefully recording observations
Gathering data
Analyzing the results

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a systematic investigation
of nature and requires proposing an explanation
for the results of an experiment in the form of a
general principle.

The initial, tentative proposal of a scientific

principle is called a hypothesis.
After further investigation, the original hypothesis
may be rejected, revised, or elevated to the status
of a scientific principle.
2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Applying the Scientific Method

Step 1: Perform a planned experiment, make
observations, and record data.
Step 2: Analyze the data and propose a tentative
hypothesis to explain the experimental observations.
Step 3: Conduct additional experiments to test the
hypothesis. If the evidence supports the initial
proposal, the hypothesis may become a theory.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Applying the Scientific Method,

Continued
After sufficient evidence, a hypothesis becomes a
scientific theory.
A natural law is a measurable relationship.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Critical Thinking: Reactions with Oxygen

What do burning wood, rusting iron, and
exploding gasoline have in common?
All three are examples of combustion.
Combustion is a chemical reaction of a substance
with oxygen.
Rusting is a slow reaction, burning is a rapid
reaction, and an explosion is an instantaneous
reaction.
2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Modern Chemistry
Chemistry is a science that studies the
composition of matter and its properties.
Chemistry is divided into several branches:
Organic chemistry is the study of substances
containing carbon.
Inorganic chemistry is the study of all other
substances that dont contain carbon.
Biochemistry is the study of substances derived from
plants and animals.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Learning Chemistry
Different people learn
chemistry differently.
What do you see in the
picture?
Some people see a vase on a
dark background; some people
see two faces.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

Problem Solving
Connect the dots using only four straight lines.
Experiment until
you find a solution.
Did you have to use
five straight lines?
No matter which
dot we start with,
we still need five
lines.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

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Problem Solving, Continued

Are we confining the problem?

We need to
go beyond
the nine dots
to answer
the problem.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

11

Chemistry: The Central Science

Knowledge of chemistry is important to
understanding the world around us.

2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1

12

Chapter Summary
Scientists use the scientific method to investigate
the world around them.
Experiments lead to a hypothesis, which may lead
to a scientific theory or a natural law.
Chemistry is a central science with many
branches.

The impact of chemistry is felt in many aspects of

our daily lives.
2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

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