Greenenvironmental's Blog

The Science of Chemistry

Our chemical knowledge is derived from science, and science requires that something be measured; it does not rely on ‘clever thinking’.  Measured results are repeatable, and they can be made by anyone, anywhere, at anytime.  Galileo is a testament to the result of allowing entrenched clever thinking to deny real measurements; the church forgave Galileo for reporting  his observations that the Earth was not the center of the Universe 400 years later.

There are things that we can’t measure, like the origin of life, the origin of the universe, UFO’s, and Ghosts. While these topics can provide entertainment, they can’t kill you, but chemicals can- particularly if they are not handled properly.   The knowledge of how to handle chemicals properly comes after many years of direct experience.  Inductive reasoning tells us that after many observations of a behavior, like flammability, we can ‘infer’ that all similar chemicals are flammable.  This is how theories are built, from specific observations to general principles.

Science begins with a hypothesis, this is an ‘educated guess’ that can then be ‘tested’.  A hypothesis tries to relate specific observations to general principles, and these principles are called theories.  It is like picking out produce at the grocery store; we guess which ones are the best, and then we test our hypothesis by ‘feeling’ them.   With time, we form theories about which items are the best to buy; no one wants to pay for a rotten apple.

Theories
A Theory is a way to connect, or relate, information based on what currently known.  In effect, a theory provides a ‘Data Table’ in which all of the known information can be entered into categories based on certain characteristics.  For example, Evolution provides a way to categorize animals based on similar characteristics like mammals versus reptiles.   We use this process in our daily lives, when shopping for produce we avoid fruit with ‘soft spots’, these can indicate that it won’t taste right; the theory being rotten fruit tastes nasty.

When a theory is proven repeatedly, it becomes a law.  There are no exceptions to a law, and until a theory has no exceptions, it can’t be a law.  Recently, ‘Atomic Theory’ is becoming accepted as a law.  The theory of atoms was first considered by the ancient Greeks, and today we can actually take ‘pictures’ of atoms.  Even so,  Atomic Theory has not ‘officially’ become a law, even after a couple of thousand years of observations.  Proponents of evolution want Evolution to be considered a law, but many of their arguments still contain inconsistencies,  for example, chemicals do not ‘evolve’, no matter how forceful the arguments,  evolution only applies to living systems;  it does not say where life came from, only what it does.   There would have been a lot of time and effort saved if evolution and religion did not squabble over imagined, and unknowable issues.  Students should be taught about one of the central theories of biology; not given someone’s unmeasurable opinion about where life came from, be it science or religion.

Theories must  be applied to their application;  gravity does not apply to business, nor does evolution apply to chemistry.  Unfortunately, theories are often used as a justification for groups trying to gain advantage,  like businesses using evolution’s ‘survival of the fittest’ to justify their hostile take overs of other companies.  Theories are a way to organize information, not justify behavior.

Orbital theory, practical knowledge versus theoretical knowledge

There is a huge difference between doing something verses reading about it.  Chemistry can be interesting because you can do things with it, unlike math which abstract.  The problem with most chemistry classes is that they spend too much time on abstractions rather than real world applications, like hazardous properties.  However, the overemphasis of the theoretical side can confuse people, preventing them from getting the knowledge needed to handle chemicals safely.   Most people will say how they ‘never understood’, or ‘did not like’ chemistry, even though the modern world is based on chemistry, or as the add goes: “better living through chemistry”.  There are parts of chemistry that we must all understand to live safely in this world, and there are parts that only chemists need to understand.

For example, most school curriculums require lessons on ‘orbital mechanics’; that is the s,p,d, and f orbitals that most students are forced to memorize.  Unfortunately for students, these concepts are barley relevant to reality, and most high school chemistry teachers do not understand this concept well enough to know when not to teach it.   Additionally, these concepts are derived from a form of math called ‘differential equations’; a type of math way beyond high school algebra, and even most college math classes.    If professional chemists don’t know if an electron is a particle or a wave, how can anyone possibly say what its ‘orbit’ looks like?  We are interpreting what the math is interpreting about the reality.  For example, chemists use polynomial equations (having two solutions) for interpreting things like the multiple equilibrium of polyprotic acids (sulfuric acid, H2SO4, can release two hydrogen ions, or protons, per molecule).  The ‘math’ gives two solutions, but we must understand that one of these solutions is nonsense- you can’t have a negative concentration.

Orbital mechanics is useful for chemists, but it does explain to most people why chemicals behave the way they do.  The “octet rule” is a good simplification that can make some sense out of the patterns we see in chemical behavior, like the eight main columns of the periodic table, or the reason atoms connect the way they do.  The shape of those orbitals do not become relevant until grad school if you are a chemist.  Basic chemistry needs to give people the knowledge to deal with the chemicals that are in their lives.  There are more advanced concepts to be learned in chemistry, but the world around us can serve as a good foundation as a stepping stone for more advanced topics.

Chemical properties next.