Chemistry: Universe's Building Blocks
Chemistry studies matter's properties, composition, and transformations. Surprisingly, every element on Earth was formed in the heart of a dying star, scattering elements across the cosmos through supernova explosions.
Water's Anomalous Properties
Water is essential for life, but it's also chemically peculiar. It expands upon freezing, unlike most substances. This anomaly is crucial for aquatic life, as ice floats, providing insulation in frozen-over bodies of water.
Carbon's Allotropes Variety
Carbon is renowned for its allotropes: graphite, diamond, graphene, and fullerenes. Each has unique properties, from the hardest natural substance (diamond) to the best conductor of electricity (graphene), showcasing carbon's versatility.
Periodic Table Organization
The Periodic Table is more than a chemistry icon; it's a marvel of organization, predicting elements' properties and reactivity. Mendeleev's original table even left gaps for undiscovered elements, which were accurately predicted.
Quantum Chemistry Revelation
Chemistry isn't just beakers and reactions; it's also governed by quantum mechanics. Electrons exist in probability clouds, not fixed orbits, which explains chemical bonding and reactivity on an atomic level.
Gold in Oceans
There are about 20 million tons of gold dissolved in the world's oceans, yet it's too diluted to be economically extracted with current technology.