Lee University
Ph.D. Organic Chemistry
UT Knoxville
Professor of Chemistry
Lee University
Founder Chem21Labs
1.1 Chemistry in Context - First Fire, then Chemistry.
With the ability to control fire, humans began to isolate drugs and dyes from plants, metals from ores (smelting), soaps from ashes and animal fat, and alcohol from fermentation. However, without modern instruments, they made more than a few mistakes about the world(s) around them.
The "Water, Earth, Fire, and Air" described in the animation to the right seem so silly to today's scientist, but this . . . . a proposed explanation made with limited evidence. A hypothesis is the starting point for further investigation. by Empedocles fanned the flames of curiosity in the early scientific community and caused researchers to envision and conduct experiments that supported, or undermined, the hypothesis.
Empedocles (450 BC)
Scientists learned very quickly that it is perfectly fine to propose an incorrect hypothesis as long as you allow experimental results (yours and others) to shape your understanding and, when necessary, change your hypothesis. It took 2000 years for the Four Elements hypothesis proposed by Empedocles to be disproved . . . . it took another 350 years to identify the 118 known elements (in 2010 Element 117, Tennessine, became the last officially recognized element). Elements are the most basic components of the universe - they are the building blocks of matter.
The investigative approach used in scientific exploration and discovery is called the 1. Define the problem
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Conduct an experiment
4. Analyze the data
5. Draw conclusions
6. Repeat. You will employ the scientific method to complete the lab assignment below.