<p>By the end of this lesson and the next few, you should be able to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Outline the historical development of chemistry</li>
<li>Provide examples of the importance of <a data-lesson="introducing-chemistry" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/introducing-chemistry">chemistry</a> in everyday life</li>
<li>Describe the scientific method</li>
<li>Differentiate among hypotheses, theories, and laws</li>
<li>Provide examples illustrating macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic domains</li>
</ul>
<h2>A Brief Historical Account</h2>
<p id="fs-idp77567568">Throughout human history, people have tried to convert matter into more useful forms. Our Stone Age ancestors chipped pieces of flint into useful tools and carved wood into statues and toys. These endeavors involved <a data-lesson="factors-affecting-the-equilibrium-constant" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemical-equilibrium" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemical-equilibrium/factors-affecting-the-equilibrium-constant">changing</a> the <a data-lesson="molecular-shape" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="bonding-atomic-combinations" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/bonding-atomic-combinations/molecular-shape">shape</a> of a substance without changing the substance itself.</p>
<p>But as our knowledge increased, humans began to change the <a data-lesson="composition" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="quantitative-aspects-chemical-change" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/quantitative-aspects-chemical-change/composition">composition</a> of the substances as well—clay was converted into pottery, hides were cured to make garments, <a data-lesson="isolation-of-copper" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="transition-metals" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/transition-metals/isolation-of-copper">copper</a> ores were transformed into copper tools and weapons, and grain was made into bread.</p>
<p id="fs-idp55245024">Humans began to practice chemistry when they learned to <a data-lesson="control-rods" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="nuclear-chemistry" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/nuclear-chemistry/control-rods">control</a> fire and use it to cook, make pottery, and smelt metals. Subsequently, they began to separate and use specific components of matter. A variety of drugs such as aloe, myrrh, and opium were isolated from plants. Dyes, such as indigo and Tyrian purple, were extracted from plant and animal matter.</p>
<p>Metals were combined to form alloys—for example, copper and tin were mixed together to make bronze—and more elaborate smelting techniques produced iron. Alkalis were extracted from ashes, and soaps were prepared by combining these alkalis with fats. Alcohol was produced by fermentation and purified by distillation.</p>
<p id="fs-idp128238864">Attempts to understand the behavior of matter extend back for more than 2500 years. As early as the sixth century BC, Greek philosophers discussed a system in which <a data-lesson="unique-properties-of-water" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="states-of-matter" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/states-of-matter/unique-properties-of-water">water</a> was the basis of all things. You may have heard of the Greek postulate that matter consists of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.</p>
<p>Subsequently, an amalgamation of chemical technologies and philosophical speculations were spread from Egypt, China, and the eastern Mediterranean by alchemists, who endeavored to transform “base metals” such as lead into “noble metals” like gold, and to create elixirs to cure disease and extend life (<a href="#attachment_96092">see image below</a>).</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_96092" style="width: 800px"><a href="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/b8403a93-7ba0-4598-bc70-2fbeb53ab758"><img alt="alchemist-workshop" class="size-full wp-image-96092" height="568" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/b8403a93-7ba0-4598-bc70-2fbeb53ab758" width="800"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">This portrayal shows an alchemist’s workshop circa 1580. Although alchemy made some useful contributions to how to manipulate matter, it was not scientific by modern standards. Image credit: Chemical Heritage Foundation</p></div>
<p>From alchemy came the historical progressions that led to modern chemistry: the isolation of drugs from natural sources, metallurgy, and the dye industry. Today, chemistry continues to deepen our understanding and improve our ability to harness and control the behavior of matter. This effort has been so successful that many people do not realize either the central position of chemistry among the sciences or the importance and universality of chemistry in daily life.</p>

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History of Chemistry

Chemistry generally explores the substances of which matter is composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions, and the use of such reactions to form new substances. 

Chemistry

Explore the essential ideas in chemistry, including the scientific method, laboratory skills and safety, states of matter, measurement uncertainty, models of the atom, electronic configurations, and more.


History of Chemistry

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