What Is Not Chemistry?

What Is Not Chemistry?Chemistry is a study of substances, or 'bases', and the reactions that occur when those substances interact. Science teachers of elementary and high school age students are sometimes confused about what is not chemistry, or why chemistry does not teach us about the chemical processes that occur in nature. Understanding what is not chemistry can help you prepare for more advanced classes in high school.To understand what is not chemistry, you need to understand a few things. First, if the elements that compose our world did not exist, it would be almost impossible to make tools or products that we use. That does not mean that it is not possible to create tools and products without using the elements that we know. There is no dearth of natural resources.Secondly, if the elements that compose our world did not exist, there would be no reason to study them. Chemists study each element separately so they can be studied individually, rather than studying 'bases' of th e elements, like they do in science. In general, we do not study the properties of the individual atoms because they are too small to see; we study the properties of compounds that consist of the atoms or molecules together.Third, learning chemistry does not make you a scientist or an expert on the properties of everyday things, such as you would get from going to a chemistry class. Chemistry is used in scientific investigations to analyze the properties of elements and compounds. Students who don't get this sense of the proper context for science classes will struggle in these sciences.Fourth, you cannot simply go out and purchase an atom from the supermarket to study. Each element has its own atoms and is therefore different from the atoms of other elements. The quantity of all elements in our world is just too great to make simple comparisons. If you want to learn about how two or more atoms relate to each other, you need to take a course in atomic science.Finally, science and ch emistry are not the same thing. While chemistry does deal with substances, science deals with reality. Chemistry tries to explain reality while science investigates it.Once you understand these differences, you can determine if what is not chemistry is important information to your learning. If you cannot identify the elements that make up the substances we call chemical agents in their own right, then this is likely where you are failing your education.So, what is not chemistry? Chemistry is made up of substances and combinations of those substances, with an emphasis on the physical properties that occur when they interact.