Subject and tasks of chemistry. The place of chemistry among the natural sciences. What does the science of chemistry study? chemical methods of analysis - when data is obtained as a result of precipitation, gas evolution, discoloration

The whole diverse world around us is matter which comes in two forms: substances and fields. Substance consists of particles with their own mass. Field- such a form of existence of matter, which is characterized by energy.

The property of matter is traffic... The forms of motion of matter are studied by various natural sciences: physics, chemistry, biology, etc.

It should not be considered that there is an unambiguous strict correspondence between the sciences on the one hand, and the forms of motion of matter on the other. It must be borne in mind that in general there is no such form of motion of matter that would exist in its pure form, separately from other forms. All this underlines the difficulty of classifying sciences.

NS imiyu can be defined as a science that studies the chemical form of motion of matter, which is understood as a qualitative change in substances: Chemistry studies the structure, properties and transformations of substances.

TO chemical phenomena include such phenomena in which some substances are converted into others. Chemical phenomena are called otherwise chemical reactions. Physical phenomena are not accompanied by the transformation of some substances into others.

Each science is based on a set of preliminary beliefs, fundamental philosophical attitudes and answers to the question about the nature of reality and human knowledge. This set of beliefs, values ​​shared by members of a given scientific community are called paradigms.

The main paradigms of modern chemistry:

1. Atomic-molecular structure of matter

2. The law of conservation of matter

3. The electronic nature of the chemical bond

4. An unambiguous relationship between the structure of a substance and its chemical properties (periodic law)

Chemistry, physics, biology only at first glance may seem distant from each other sciences. Although the laboratories of a physicist, chemist, and biologist are very different, all these researchers deal with natural (natural) objects. This distinguishes the natural sciences from mathematics, history, economics and many other sciences that study what is not created by nature, but primarily by man himself.

Ecology is close to natural sciences. One should not think that ecology is "good" chemistry, as opposed to classic "bad" chemistry, which pollutes the environment. There is no "bad" chemistry or "bad" nuclear physics - there is scientific and technical progress or its lack in any field of activity. The task of the ecologist is to use the new achievements of natural sciences in order to minimize the risk of disturbing the habitat of living beings with maximum benefit. The balance of risk and reward is the subject of environmental studies.

There are no strict boundaries between the natural sciences. For example, the discovery and study of the properties of new types of atoms was once considered a task for chemists. However, it turned out that of the currently known types of atoms, some were discovered by chemists, and some - by physicists. This is just one of many examples of "open boundaries" between physics and chemistry.

Life is a complex chain of chemical transformations. All living organisms absorb some substances from the environment and release others. This means that a serious biologist (botanist, zoologist, doctor) cannot do without knowledge of chemistry.

Later we will make sure that there is no absolutely exact boundary between physical and chemical transformations. Nature is one, therefore we must always remember that it is impossible to understand the structure of the world around us, delving into only one of the areas of human knowledge.

The discipline "Chemistry" is connected with other natural science disciplines by intersubject connections: the previous ones - with mathematics, physics, biology, geology and other disciplines.

Modern chemistry is a branched system of many sciences: inorganic, organic, physical, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, which are mastered by students in subsequent courses.

Knowledge of the course of chemistry is necessary for the successful study of other general scientific and special disciplines.

Figure 1.2.1 - The place of chemistry in the system of natural sciences

The improvement of research methods, primarily experimental technology, led to the division of science into ever narrower areas. As a result, quantity and "quality", i. E. the reliability of the information has increased. However, the impossibility for one person to have complete knowledge even for related scientific fields has given rise to new problems. Just as in military strategy the weakest points of defense and offensive are found at the junction of fronts, in science the least developed areas remain areas that do not lend themselves to an unambiguous classification. Among other reasons, it is possible to note the difficulty of obtaining an appropriate qualification level (academic degree) for scientists working in the areas of the “intersection of sciences”. But the main discoveries of our time are also made there.

Chemistry is a natural science. Like other natural sciences, she studies a certain side of nature and natural phenomena. Unlike other natural sciences, chemistry pays close attention to the substance. A substance is, for example, water, a metal, salt, a certain protein.

Many objects that surround us are not composed of one, but of many substances. For example, a living organism consists of water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and a number of other substances. Even substances that are homogeneous in appearance can be mixtures of various substances (for example, solutions).

The science of chemistry throughout history has made it possible not only to study the structure and properties of substances, but also to obtain new substances that did not exist in nature before. These are, for example, various plastics, organic substances.

Chemistry, like mathematics, has its own formal language. It is customary here to express the interactions of substances through a definite record of chemical reactions, and the substances themselves are written in the form of formulas.

Chemistry explains many of the changes in nature. The main question that chemistry answers is - why do some substances turn into others?

Lesson number 1

Theme: Chemistry is a natural science.

Target: give the concept of chemistry as a science; show the place of chemistry among the natural sciences; to acquaint with the history of the origin of chemistry; consider the importance of chemistry in human life; study the rules of conduct in the chemistry classroom; to acquaint with scientific methods of cognition in chemistry; develop the logic of thinking, the ability to observe; foster interest in the subject under study, perseverance, diligence in the study of the subject.

During the classes.

IOrganization of the class.

IIUpdating basic knowledge.

What natural sciences do you know and study?

Why are they called natural?

IIICommunication of the topic, the purpose of the lesson, the motivation of educational activities.

After reporting the topic and purpose of the lesson, the teacher poses a problematic question.

What do you think chemistry studies? (Students share their assumptions, they are all written on the board.) The teacher then says that during the lesson we will find out which assumptions are correct.

IIILearning new material.

Before starting our lesson, we must study the rules of conduct in a chemistry room. Look at the stand in front of you on the wall, on which these rules are written. Every time you enter the office, you must repeat these rules, know them and strictly follow them.

(We read aloud the rules of conduct in the chemical room.)

Rules of behavior for students in the chemistry classroom.

You can enter the chemistry room only with the permission of the teacher

In the chemistry room, you need to walk with a measured step. In no case should you move abruptly, as you can overturn the equipment and reagents standing on the tables.

During the experimental work in the chemistry room, you must be in a dressing gown.

When carrying out experimental work, you can start work only after the permission of the teacher

When doing experiments, work calmly, without fuss. Don't push your deskmate. Remember! Accuracy is the key to success!

After completing the experiments, it is necessary to tidy up the workplace and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Chemistry is a natural science, the place of chemistry among the natural sciences.

The natural sciences include physical geography, astronomy, physics, biology, ecology, and others. They study objects and natural phenomena.

Let us consider what place chemistry occupies among other sciences. It provides them with substances, materials and modern technologies. And at the same time he uses the achievements of mathematics, physics, biology, ecology for his own further development. Consequently, chemistry is the central, fundamental science.

The boundaries between chemistry and other natural sciences are becoming increasingly blurred. Physical chemistry and chemical physics arose on the border of research on physical and chemical phenomena. Biochemistry - biological chemistry - studies the chemical composition and structure of compounds contained in living organisms.

The history of the emergence of chemistry.

The science of substances and their transformations originated in Egypt, the most technically advanced country of the ancient world. Egyptian priests were the first chemists. They possessed many still unsolved chemical secrets. For example, by the techniques of embalming the bodies of the dead pharaohs and nobles, as well as by obtaining some paints.

Such industries as pottery, glass making, dyeing, perfumery, achieved significant development in Egypt long before our era. Chemistry was considered a "divine" science, was entirely in the hands of the priests and were carefully hidden by them from all the uninitiated. However, some information nevertheless penetrated beyond the borders of Egypt.

Around the 7th century. AD the Arabs took over the heritage and methods of work of the Egyptian priests and enriched mankind with new knowledge. The Arabs added the prefix al to the word hemi, and the leadership in the study of substances, which came to be called alchemy, passed to the Arabs. It should be noted that in Russia alchemy was not widespread, although the works of alchemists were known, and even translated into Church Slavonic. Alchemy is the medieval art of obtaining and processing various substances for practical needs.In contrast to the ancient Greek philosophers, who only observed the world, and the explanation was based on assumptions and reflections, alchemists acted, experimented, making unexpected discoveries and improving the experimental technique. Alchemists believed that metals are substances consisting of three main elements: salts - as a symbol of hardness and solubility; sulfur - as a substance capable of heating and burning at high temperatures; mercury - as a substance capable of evaporation and possessing a luster. In this regard, it was assumed that, for example, gold, which was a precious metal, also possesses exactly the same elements, which means that it can be obtained from any metal! It was believed that obtaining gold from any other metal is associated with the action of the philosopher's stone, which alchemists unsuccessfully tried to find. In addition, they believed that if you drink an elixir made from the Philosopher's Stone, you will gain eternal youth! But the alchemists were unable to find and obtain either the philosopher's stone or gold from other metals.

The role of chemistry in human life.

Pupils list all aspects of the positive influence of chemistry on human life. The teacher helps and guides the students' thought.

Teacher: Is chemistry only useful in society? What problems arise in connection with the use of chemical products?

(Students are trying to find an answer to this question as well.)

Cognition methods in chemistry.

A person receives knowledge about nature with the help of such an important method as observation.

Observation- this is the concentration of attention on cognizable objects in order to study them.

With the help of observation, a person accumulates information about the world around him, which he then systematizes, identifying general patterns of observation results. The next important step is to find the reasons that explain the found patterns.

In order for observation to be fruitful, a number of conditions must be met:

clearly define the subject of observation, that is, what the observer will pay attention to - a specific substance, its properties or the transformation of some substances into others, the conditions for the implementation of these transformations, etc .;

formulate the purpose of the observation, the observer must know why he is conducting the observation;

draw up an observation plan to achieve the set goal. To do this, it is better to put forward an assumption, that is, a hypothesis (from the Greek hypothesis - a basis, an assumption) about how the observed phenomenon will occur. A hypothesis can also be put forward as a result of observation, that is, when a result is obtained that needs to be explained.

Scientific observation is different from observation in the everyday sense of the word. As a rule, scientific observation is carried out under strictly controlled conditions, and these conditions can be changed at the request of the observer. Most often, such observation is carried out in a special room - a laboratory.

Experiment- scientific reproduction of any phenomenon for the purpose of its research, testing under certain conditions.

An experiment (from Lat. Experimentum - experience, trial) allows you to confirm or refute the hypothesis that arose during the observation, and formulate a conclusion.

Let's conduct a small experiment to study the structure of the flame.

Let's light a candle and take a close look at the flame. It is not uniform in color and has three zones. The dark area (1) is at the bottom of the flame. She is the coldest in comparison with others. The dark zone is surrounded by a bright part of the flame (2), the temperature of which is higher than in the dark zone. However, the highest temperature is in the upper colorless part of the flame (zone 3).

To ensure that different zones of the flame are at different temperatures, such an experiment can be carried out. Place a splinter or match in the flame so that it crosses all three zones. You will see that the speck is charred in zones 2 and 3. This means that the flame temperature is the highest there.

The question arises, will the flame of an alcohol lamp or dry fuel have the same structure as the flame of a candle? The answer to this question can be two assumptions - hypotheses: 1) the structure of the flame will be the same as the flame of a candle, because it is based on the same process - combustion; 2) the structure of the flame will be different, since it arises as a result of the combustion of various substances. In order to confirm or refute one of these hypotheses, let us turn to an experiment - we will conduct an experiment.

We investigate with the help of a match or a splinter the structure of the spirit lamp flame.

Despite the differences in shape, size and even color, in both cases the flame has the same structure - the same three zones: inner dark (coldest), middle luminous (hot) and outer colorless (hottest).

Therefore, on the basis of the experiment carried out, it can be concluded that the structure of any flame is the same. The practical significance of this conclusion is as follows: in order to heat an object in a flame, it must be brought into the upper, that is, the hottest, part of the flame.

It is customary to draw up experimental data in a special laboratory journal, which is an ordinary notebook, but the entries in it are strictly defined. The date of the experiment, its name, the course of the experiment, which is often drawn up in the form of a table, are noted.

Try to describe an experiment to study the structure of a flame in this way.

All natural sciences are experimental. And for setting up an experiment, special equipment is often required. For example, in biology, optical devices are widely used, which allow many times to enlarge the image of the observed object: a magnifying glass, a microscope.

Physicists in the study of electrical circuits use instruments to measure voltage, current and electrical resistance.

Scientists-geographers are armed with special devices - from the simplest (compass, meteorological probes) to research ships, unique space orbital stations.

Chemists also use special equipment in their research. The simplest of them is, for example, a heating device you are already familiar with - an alcohol lamp and various chemical utensils in which transformations of substances, i.e., chemical reactions, are carried out.

IV Generalization si systematization of acquired knowledge.

So what does chemistry study? (During the lesson, the teacher paid attention to the correctness or incorrectness of the children's assumptions about the subject of chemistry. And now the time has come to generalize and give the final answer. We derive the definition of chemistry).

What role does chemistry play in the life of a person and society?

What methods of cognition in chemistry you now know.

What is surveillance? What conditions must be met for the observation to be effective?

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a conclusion?

What is an experiment?

What kind of structure does the flame have?

How should heating be done?

V Reflection, summing up the lesson, assigning marks.

VI Report homework, instructions on how to complete it.

Teacher: You must:

Learn the pivotal outline for this lesson.

Describe an experiment to study the structure of a flame using the table below.

Science is one of the most important areas of human activity at the present stage of the development of world civilization. Today there are hundreds of different disciplines: technical, social, humanitarian, natural sciences. What are they learning? How did natural science develop in the historical aspect?

Natural science is ...

What is natural science? When did it originate and what directions does it consist of?

Natural science is a discipline that studies natural phenomena and phenomena that are external to the subject of research (man). The term "natural science" in Russian comes from the word "nature", which is a synonym for the word "nature".

Mathematics, as well as philosophy, can be considered the foundation of natural science. From them, by and large, all modern natural sciences emerged. At first, naturalists tried to answer all questions regarding nature and its all kinds of manifestations. Then, as the subject of research became more complex, natural science began to split into separate disciplines, which over time became more and more isolated.

In the context of modern times, natural science is a complex of scientific disciplines about nature, taken in their close relationship.

The history of the formation of natural sciences

The development of the natural sciences took place gradually. However, man's interest in natural phenomena was manifested in antiquity.

Natural philosophy (in fact, science) actively developed in Ancient Greece. Ancient thinkers, with the help of primitive research methods and, at times, intuition, were able to make a number of scientific discoveries and important assumptions. Even then, natural philosophers were sure that the Earth revolves around the Sun, could explain solar and lunar eclipses, and quite accurately measured the parameters of our planet.

During the Middle Ages, the development of natural science noticeably slowed down and was heavily dependent on the church. Many scientists at this time were persecuted for the so-called disbelief. All scientific research and research, in fact, boiled down to the interpretation and justification of the scriptures. Nevertheless, in the era of the Middle Ages, logic and theory developed significantly. It is also worth noting that at this time the center of natural philosophy (direct study of natural phenomena) geographically shifted towards the Arab-Muslim region.

In Europe, the rapid development of natural science begins (resumes) only in the 17th-18th centuries. This is the time of large-scale accumulation of factual knowledge and empirical material (results of "field" observations and experiments). Natural sciences of the 18th century are also based in their research on the results of numerous geographical expeditions, voyages, and studies of newly discovered lands. In the 19th century, logic and theoretical thinking again came to the fore. At this time, scientists are actively processing all the collected facts, putting forward various theories, formulating patterns.

The most outstanding naturalists in the history of world science include Thales, Eratosthenes, Pythagoras, Claudius Ptolemy, Archimedes, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Nikola Tesla, Mikhail Lomonosov and many other famous scientists.

The problem of classification of natural science

The basic natural sciences include: mathematics (which is also often referred to as the "queen of sciences"), chemistry, physics, biology. The problem of classifying natural science has existed for a long time and worries the minds of more than a dozen scientists and theorists.

This dilemma was best dealt with by Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher and scientist who is better known as a close friend of Karl Marx and co-author of his famous work called Capital. He was able to identify two main principles (approaches) of the typology of scientific disciplines: this is an objective approach, as well as the principle of development.

The most detailed was proposed by the Soviet methodologist Bonifatiy Kedrov. It has not lost its relevance today.

List of natural sciences

The whole complex of scientific disciplines is usually divided into three large groups:

• humanities (or social) sciences;
• technical;
• natural.

The latter study nature. A complete list of natural sciences is presented below:

• astronomy;
• biology;
• medicine;
• geology;
• soil science;
• physics;
• natural history;
• chemistry;
• botany;
• zoology;
• psychology.

As for mathematics, scientists do not have a consensus about which group of scientific disciplines it should be attributed to. Some consider it a natural science, others - an exact one. Some methodologists classify mathematics as a separate class of so-called formal (or abstract) sciences.

Chemistry

Chemistry is a vast area of ​​natural science, the main object of study of which is matter, its properties and structure. This science also considers objects at the atomic-molecular level. She also studies the chemical bonds and reactions that occur when various structural particles of matter interact.

For the first time, the theory that all natural bodies consist of smaller (not visible to humans) elements was put forward by the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus. He suggested that every substance contains smaller particles, just as words are made up of different letters.

Modern chemistry is a complex science that includes several dozen disciplines. These are inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, geochemistry, even cosmochemistry.

Physics

Physics is one of the oldest sciences on Earth. The laws discovered by her are the basis, the foundation for the entire system of natural science disciplines.

For the first time the term "physics" was used by Aristotle. In those early days, it was practically identical to philosophy. Physics began to turn into an independent science only in the 16th century.

Today, physics is understood as the science that studies matter, its structure and movement, as well as the general laws of nature. There are several main sections in its structure. These are classical mechanics, thermodynamics, the theory of relativity and some others.

physical geography

The distinction between the natural and the humanities as a bold line passed through the "body" of the once unified geographical science, dividing its individual disciplines. Thus, physical geography (as opposed to economic and social) found itself in the bosom of natural science.

This science studies the geographic shell of the Earth as a whole, as well as individual natural components and systems that make up it. Modern physical geography consists of a number of them:

• landscape science;
• geomorphology;
• climatology;
• hydrology;
• oceanology;
• soil science and others.

Science and Humanities: Unity and Difference

Humanities, natural sciences - are they as far from each other as it might seem?

Of course, these disciplines differ in the subject of research. Natural sciences study nature, humanities - they concentrate their attention on people and society. The humanitarian disciplines cannot compete with the natural ones in accuracy, they are not able to mathematically prove their theories and confirm hypotheses.

On the other hand, these sciences are closely related, intertwined with each other. Especially in the conditions of the XXI century. So, mathematics has long been introduced into literature and music, physics and chemistry - into art, psychology - into social geography and economics, and so on. In addition, it has long become obvious that many important discoveries are being made precisely at the junction of several scientific disciplines, which, at first glance, have absolutely nothing in common.

Finally...

Natural science is a branch of science that studies natural phenomena, processes and phenomena. There are a huge variety of such disciplines: physics, mathematics and biology, geography and astronomy.

The natural sciences, despite numerous differences in the subject and research methods, are closely related to social and humanitarian disciplines. This connection is especially strong in the 21st century, when all sciences converge and intertwine.