In life, we are surrounded by a variety of bodies and objects. For example, in the rooms it is a window, door, table, light bulb, cup, on the street - a car, traffic light, asphalt. Any bodies or objects are made up of matter. This article will discuss what a substance is.
What is chemistry?
This is a science of nature, studying organic and inorganic substances, their structure, properties and transformations as a result of chemical reactions. Chemistry belongs to one of the vast areas of natural science and is engaged in the study of interactions between molecules and atoms. It gives a clear concept of what a substance is, and is very closely interconnected with physics and biology, and therefore refers to the natural sciences.
The importance of chemistry in human life
Minerals, living organisms, rocks and the atmosphere are composed of different ratios of the same elements. The main difference between animate and inanimate nature is which molecules were formed from certain chemical elements. The basis of the vital activity of our biosphere will be the cycle of chemical elements.
Human life is impossible without industrial goods (food, vitamins, medicines, cosmetics, artificial fibers, building materials, various varnishes and paints, mineral fertilizers and much more).
Molecules and atoms
Any substance consists of very small particles called molecules (from Latin - mass). All molecules consist of even more microscopic particles - atoms, or rather, of nuclei, which are surrounded by internal and external electrons that form chemical bonds. Atoms have a certain mass, and therefore the composition of the substance is constant. The main structural features of the molecule were discovered during scientific studies of chemical reactions, analysis of chemical compounds and the use of physical methods. Atoms in molecules are connected by chemical bonds. Microscopic particles in a molecule can be either positively or negatively charged.
The concept of substance
What is a substance? A substance is considered to be what all bodies and objects in the nature surrounding us consist of. Any substances contain molecules, and molecules, in turn, are composed of atoms. For example, an iron nail will be the body, and iron the substance. Any substances have a certain set of physical and chemical properties.
Physical characteristics include features that distinguish one substance from another. These include: state of aggregation, density, solubility, color, gloss, temperature (boiling or melting), electrical conductivity.
Chemical properties - the properties of substances to react and manifest themselves in chemical processes (reactions).
The task of chemistry is to get acquainted with the physical and chemical properties of a substance.
Varieties of substances
There are classes of substances that are simple and complex. Simple are substances that are composed of atoms of one chemical element. For example, inert gas molecules (neon, argon, oxygen, bromine, iodine). Complex substances include all substances that were formed due to the combination of various atoms (water, sodium chloride, carbon dioxide, potassium permanganate, sucrose). Active substances - substances in chemical reactions that can reduce surface tension when concentrated on the surface.
Organic matter
This category includes all substances that include carbon. The exceptions are carbides, carbon oxides, carbonates, and carbon-containing cyanides and gases.
The molecule of the substance of saccharides consists of three elements and is the main source of energy for living organisms. Monosaccharides are compounds that do not crystallize. Oligosaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose) consist of two, three or four monosaccharide molecules. Are crystallized. Polysaccharides (glycogen, starch, arabans, xylans) are unsweetened and do not dissolve in water. Their main function is the connection, gluing and binding of cells. Lipids include a group of compounds contained in all living cells. They look like simple carbon chains or the remains of cyclic molecules. They are divided into fats (triglycerides and neutral) and lipoids. These are not easy esters. Fatty acids (stearic, ricinic) are also found in living organisms. Lipoids are fat-like substances that matter due to their structure. They form clearly oriented layers. Enzymes include active biological accelerators of protein processes. They are not destroyed during reactions and differ from chemical catalysts in that they are able to increase the reaction rate under normal conditions.
Inorganic substances
Inorganic substances include: water, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur.
Water is an indispensable solvent and stabilizer. It has a strong heat capacity and thermal conductivity. The aquatic environment is favorable for the occurrence of basic chemical reactions. It is characterized by transparency and practically resistant to compression.
Many non-protein compounds include nitrogen. Sulfur is actively involved in their construction. Most living organisms contain phosphorus in mineral form. Potassium is contained in the cells in the form of ions. It activates the balance of protein enzymes. Sodium is part of the blood and plays a major role in regulating the water balance of the whole organism. Iron takes an active part in the processes of respiration, photosynthesis and is a component of hemoglobin. Every day 2 mg of copper enters the human diet. Its deficiency reveals anemia, impaired appetite and heart disease. Manganese affects the processes of renewal in plants. Zinc breaks down carbonic acid. Boron affects the growth of various organisms. If it is absent in the soil, plants and conduits die off in plants. Molybdenum actively destroys parasites and has gained wide popularity in crop production.
What is the difference between inorganic and organic substances?
There are no particularly strong external differences between these two groups of substances. The main difference is in the structure, where inorganic substances have a non-molecular structure and organic substances have a molecular structure.
Inorganic substances have a non-molecular structure, therefore, they are characterized by high melting and boiling points. They do not contain carbon. These include noble gases (neon, argon), metals (calcium, calcium, sodium), amphoteric substances (iron, aluminum) and non-metals (silicon), hydroxides, binary compounds, salts.
Organic matter of molecular structure. They have fairly low melting points and decompose quickly when heated. Mainly composed of carbon. Exceptions: carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and cyanides. Carbon allows you to form a huge number of complex compounds (in nature there are more than 10 million of them).
Most of their classes belong to biological birth (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids). These compounds include nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur.
To understand what a substance is, it is necessary to imagine what role it plays in our lives. Interacting with other substances, it forms new ones. Without them, the life of the surrounding world is inseparable and inconceivable. All objects are composed of certain substances, so they play an important role in our lives.