Chemical Compounds and Their Formulas
Below is a list of commonly encountered chemical compounds that play a significant role in our everyday lives, along with their chemical formulas and generic names:
- Quartz, chemically known as silicon dioxide (SiO2).
- Milk of magnesia, which has the chemical name magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2).
- Marble, with the chemical name calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
- Soap solutions, identified chemically as sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
- Limestone, also known chemically as calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
- Nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as laughing gas (N2O).
- Gypsum, which is chemically recognized as calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O).
- Graphite, with the chemical name carbon (C).
- Freon, known chemically as dichlorodifluoromethane (CF2Cl2).
- Potassium hydrogen tartrate, commonly referred to as cream of tartar (KHC4H4O6).
- Bleach (liquid), which is chemically sodium hypochlorite (NaClO).
- Baking soda, with the chemical designation sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).
- Potash, known chemically as potassium carbonate (K2CO3).
- Mercury, which retains the same name in its chemical context and has the formula (Hg).
- Table salt, chemically recognized as sodium chloride (NaCl).
- Rock salt, which is chemically known as potassium nitrate (KNO3).
- Sugar, identified chemically as sucrose (C12H22O11).
- Washing soda, which has the chemical formula sodium carbonate decahydrate (Na2CO3·10H2O).
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is a vital discipline that impacts various technology sectors. Chemical engineers are responsible for conceptualizing, designing, and optimizing processes for the production, transformation, and transport of materials, starting from laboratory experimentation to full-scale manufacturing applications. There is a high demand for chemical engineers due to the extensive range of industries that rely on the production and processing of chemical substances. In addition to traditional roles within the chemical, energy, and petroleum industries, chemical engineers increasingly find opportunities in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, electronic device manufacturing, and environmental engineering.
History of Chemistry
Here is a timeline highlighting key milestones in the development of the field of chemistry:
- The prehistoric period (1700 – 300 BC) marked the beginnings of the understanding of materials and elements, with the atom defined as the smallest unit of matter. Aristotle proposed that existence was composed of four fundamental elements: water, fire, air, and earth, with all other elements being derived from these.
- From the late 17th century to the mid-19th century, Coulomb’s law emerged, stating that the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged entities varies directly to the product of their charges and inversely to the distance separating them.
- In 1845, Heinrich Geissler invented the first vacuum tube.
- In 1885, Eugene Goldstein discovered positive charges (protons) equivalent to the negative charge of electrons using a tube filled with hydrogen gas.
- In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays.
- In 1909, Robert Millikan determined the mass of the electron.