Getting Started in Chemistry
Like any new topic you are interested in learning, it's a good idea to get a glimpse of the bigger concept of the topic. In the world of chemistry, it is crucial that you do more than just read words and memorize definitions. You should also make it a goal to grasp the concept of understanding how scientists THINK and CREATE.
For starters, most every area of study and creating has a unique way of looking at our universe.
Poets see a tree, and see life and hope and expanding horizons.
Environmentalists see the same tree and decide how to protect it.
Contractors measure the number of board feet and calculate how much lumber it produces.
Artists see the colors and hues and texture while producing an impression on canvas.
Medical researchers wonder what diseases the roots or leaves could cure.
And chemists? Well chemists explore the elements from which the tree is made and how those elements join into molecules and give the tree its characteristics.
Beyond the test tube.
Chemistry isn't just test tubes and explosions. In one sense chemistry is a functional definition of the word ubiquitous... it is everywhere, and is related to everything we detect with our senses.
Every component of how we sense and explore the universe involves the interaction between ions, atoms and molecules. Chemists make a serious attempt to understand and describe those interactions and maybe create new ways of utilizing that knowledge to produce a new product or source of energy.
Organizing the Expansive.
Any subject that is as expansive as chemistry needs to be simplified by breaking the formal study into smaller, more manageable sections. Chemists do the same by categorizing the official study of chemistry into several parts. The terminology used is given in the following list.
Inorganic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Biochemistry
Analytical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Pure chemistry
Applied chemistry
Technology
Astrochemistry
There are more, but this is a good place to start.
Texting, FaceBook and...?
In this high tech age it's simplistic to restrict our learning to words and pictures in a text book. During this course we will branch out into videos, podcasts, laboratory instruments and the most amazing information processor of all, our mind!
For starters, watch the following video as a brief introduction into the wonderful world of learning about chemistry. By the way, it might be wise to take notes in your journal as you watch this short presentation.
Action Steps Towards Success.
(1) Great learning starts with curiosity questions. Your assignment is to spend at least fifteen minutes just observing what's around you. Take a walk, change your position and perspective. Look up, look down, touch, feel, listen. Ask questions. Have the courage to explore. Don't worry about what others think. Chances are they aren't thinking enough to care.
(2) Write about your short mind-journey. Trust me, there are no pre-conceived expectations of what you write. It's YOUR trip into the magnificent world of thinking how productive people (even scientists) think.
Oh, by the way. Feel free to make a comment in the space below.
