Visualizing Everyday Chemistry [Loose-leaf]

Visualizing Everyday Chemistry is for a one-semester course dedicated to introducing chemistry to non-science students. It shows what chemistry is and what it does, by integrating words with powerful and compelling visuals and learning aids. With this approach, students not only learn the basic principles of chemistry but see how chemistry impacts their lives and society. The goal of Visualizing Everyday Chemistry is to show students that chemistry is important and relevant, not because we say it is but because they see it is.

1 Chemistry in Our World 2

1.1 The Chemistry in Our Lives 4

Energy 4

Cleaning 5

Clothing and Polymers 5

Food 5

Medicines 5

WHAT A CHEMIST SEES: The Chemistry of Cars 7

1.2 Benefits Versus Risks 8

Three Common Chemicals with Known Benefits and Known Risks 8

BPA––A Chemical with Known Benefits but Uncertain Risks 9

1.3 Resources and Sustainability 10

Our Limited Resources 10

How Chemistry Improves Sustainability 10

1.4 The Science of Chemistry 12

Collaborative Research 13

The Scientific Method 14

1.5 Working with Scientific Units 15

SI Units and the Metric System 15

SI Prefixes as Multipliers 16

DID YOU KNOW?: Forensic Chemists are Unlikely to Set Foot in a Crime Scene as a Routine Part of their Work 18

Converting Units Using Unit Cancellation 19

2 Atoms and Elements 26

2.1 Atomic Structure 28

Questioning the Nature of Matter 28

Early Atomic Models 28