Have you ever wondered why you should study chemistry? Do you know the importance of chemistry? Take a look at the benefits of understanding this science and get examples of chemistry in daily life.
#1 Reason to Study Chemistry – It’s the Central Science
The best reason to study chemistry is because it is the central science. What this means is that chemical principles touch on biology, physics, geology, astronomy, medicine, engineering, mathematics, and other disciplines. Even if you never study science, having a basic understanding of chemistry helps with everyday life. This is because chemistry is the study of chemicals and the way they react with each other. Everything you can touch, taste, or smell is a chemical. So, it’s important to study chemistry to understand the world around you.
More Reasons to Study Chemistry
So, the main reason to study chemistry is that it helps explain everything. But, there are other reasons, too.
- Studying chemistry develops analytical skills. Of course, this is also true of biology, physics, and other sciences. Chemistry students learn to ask questions and answer them using the scientific method. They learn to analyze data, work in teams, and report results.
- Chemistry opens up career options. Of course, you could be a chemist, but there are other opportunities, too. Examples include medicine, forensics, landscaping, chemical engineering, teaching, law, and pharmacology.
Importance of Chemistry in Everyday Life
Household products and everyday objects involve chemistry. Here are some examples of the ways chemistry is important in everyday life:
- Food: Understanding chemistry helps decipher food labels. Understanding vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins is the same as understanding chemistry.
- Agriculture: Whether crops are grown for food or as a source of other products, such as ethanol, their success depends on chemistry. This includes soil pH, fertilizers, and even qualities that indicate ripeness.
- Pest Control: Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and algicides are all chemicals. Knowing how to use them correctly and understanding the risks they pose is a matter of chemistry.
- Construction: Materials used in construction are chemicals. A lot of science goes into the composition of steel or concrete!
- Cleaners: Soaps, detergents, and bleach are all chemicals. Choosing the best product and knowing which ones shouldn’t be mixed is a matter of chemistry.
- Colors: Colors come from light (physics), but also pigments and dyes (chemistry).
- Energy: Fuels and energy production rely on chemistry. This not only includes fossil fuels and batteries. Designing solar cells and biofuels is a matter of chemistry.
- Electronics: Silicon chips rely on elaborate chemical processes. So do video displays and speakers.
- Drugs: Drugs and supplements are chemicals. Understanding chemistry also helps predict drug interactions and side effects.
- Metals: Metals and alloys are chemicals. Chemistry explores their purification from ores, processing, and corrosion.
- Textiles: Textile chemistry includes the production and processing of natural fibers (e.g. cotton, linen, silk, wool) as well as synthetics (e.g., nylon, rayon, polyester).
- Plastics: Plastics and other polymers are chemicals. Chemistry studies how these compounds are made and recycled.
- Remediation: Chemistry plays a significant role not just in causing pollution, but also in cleaning it up.
- Cosmetics: Cosmetics are chemicals used to affect our appearance.
- Paper: The paper and pulp industry involves the chemistry of compounds in wood, such as cellulose and lignin.
- Health: Your genetics depends on DNA, which is a chemical. Your health depends on biochemical reactions within the body. Medical tests use chemicals to assess wellness.