Basic concepts of Chemistry

Chemistry is defined as the study of the composition, structure and properties of matter and the reactions by which one from of matter may be converted into another from. Chemistry is an active involving science and has vital importance to entire world. The basis knowledge of chemistry is essential for development of subjects like physics, biology, geology, engineering, environmental science and many other subjects

                          

Chemistry, a central science

     Father of chemistry- Antoine Lavoisier

Chemistry is divided in several branches are as follows,

(i) Physical chemistry - The branch of chemistry that deals with the structure of matter, the energy changes and the theories,laws and principles that exaplain the transformation of matter from one from to another. 

(ii) Inorganic chemistry - this is the branch of chemistry that deals with chemistry of elements other than carbon and of their compound.

(iii) Organic Chemistry - This is the branch of chemistry deals with the reactions of the compound of carbon.

(iv) Analytical Chemistry - This is the branch of chemistry dealing with the separation, identification and quantitative determination of the compositions of different substances.

(v) Biochemistry - This is the chemistry of the substances consisting of living organisms.

     Pharmaceutical, environmental, Nuclear are also some branches of chemistry.

                  
                

     The early eighteenth century, scientists thought they had grasped the nature of that difference, and in 1807 Jons Jokob Berzelius  gave the name compound derived from living organisms were believed to contain an immeasurable vital force - the essence of life. These he called "Organic." Compound derived from minerals - those lacking the vital force - were "inorganic." 

    Because chemist could not create Life in the laboratory, they assumed they could not create compound that had a vital force. This was their mind-set, you can imagine how suprised chemist were in 1828 when Friedrich Wohler produced urea -- a compound known to be excreted by mammals-- by heating ammonium cyanate, an inorganic mineral.

            

                   

An "Organic" compound 

  

    First time, an "organic" compound had been obtained from something other than a living organisms and certainly without the aid of any kind of vital force. Chemists, needed a new definition for "organic compound" Organic compound are now as defined as compound that contain carbon.