SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY

“Chemistry is the science of molecules and their transformations. It is not so much of the hundred
elements but of the infinite variety of molecules that may be built from them.”

 Drugs for cancer therapy – Cisplatin, Taxol.

 Drugs for AIDS – AZT(Azidothymidine)
 Chemistry has lead to the production of safer alternatives of hazardous gas to the
environment like CFC(Chlorofluorocarbon)
 Anything which has mass is called matter.
 Matter can exist in three different states, solid, liquid and gas.
 In solids particles are held together firmly.
 In liquid particles are held together loosely.
 In gas particles are far apart.
 Solids have definite volume and definite shape.
 Liquids have definite volume but no definite shape.
 Gases have neither definite volume nor definite shape.
 A mixture contains particles of two or more pure substances in it in any ratio.
 Pure substances can be further classified into elements and compounds.
 Particles of an element consist of only one type of atom. These particles may exist as atoms
or molecules.
 When two or more atoms of different elements combine together in definite ratio,
compound is formed.
 Physical properties can be measured or observed without changing the identity or the
composition of the substance.
 The measurement or observation of chemical properties requires a chemical change to
occur.
 Two different systems of measurements – English System and Metric System.
 The SI system has 7 base units –

Base physical quantity Symbol for Name of SI unit Symbol for SI unit
quantity
Length l Metre m
Mass m Kilogram kg
Time t Second s
Electric current I Ampere A
Thermodynamic T Kelvin K
temperature
Amount of substance N Mole mol
Luminous intensity Iv candela cd