Other early examples of chemical technology include the making of alloys, such
as brass and bronze, to enhance the properties of metals; the extraction of
chemicals from plants and animals for use as fabric dyes; the chemical treatment
of animal hides; the development of different methods of cooking foods; the
development of perfumes; and the extraction and use of oils for skin treatment
and in lamps.
Chemistry affects all aspects of our lives every day. Chemical reactions are
fundamental to all processes that sustain life, to the production of food, the
manufacture of goods such as clothing and plastics, the extraction of metals, the
combustion of fuels, the effectiveness of medication, and so on.
Q2.
How would you distinguish between a chemist and an alchemist? List any present-day
practices that you consider resemble alchemy rather than chemistry.
A2.
Alchemists were intent on converting one substance into another, particularly lead
into gold. In their efforts to perform this conversion they would sometimes observe
certain mystical rites. Some unscrupulous members of the profession were prepared to
resort to trickery to obtain the support of the wealthy. They were secretive, showing
little inclination to share their discoveries, and were not easily diverted by discoveries
of new materials and reactions from their main goal of obtaining valuable substances.
The modern chemist, on the other hand, is interested in all aspects of the behaviour of
materials. Hypotheses are subjected to testing by experiment, and new theories and
discoveries are published in specialised scientific journals. However, today some
practices and the claims they make resemble the practices of the alchemistsfor
example, some of the alternative cures prepared and offered are not scientifically
tested and much of the industry concerned with the production of illegal drugs is not
scientifically controlled, resulting in unpredictable results for the consumer.
Q3.
Gold was used extensively thousands of years ago by the Egyptians. What properties
of gold are linked to this early use?
A3.
Gold occurs in nature as the pure element, so does not need to be extracted. It is easy
to work and fashion into objects, and it does not corrode.
b
c
E1.
Suggest why it took until the 1860s for the periodic law to be proposed.
AE1.
There was too small a number of known elements until then to be able to analyse
similarities in properties.
E2.
Give two ways in which the Newlands table is inferior to that of Mendeleev.
AE2.
His arrangement of elements, although reflecting the properties of the lighter
elements, did not fit those of the heavier elements. He did not allow for, as yet,
undiscovered elements.
Q13.
There were several forms of a periodic table before the one proposed in 1869 by
Mendeleev. What motivated chemists to look for a way of organising the elements?
A13.
The large increase in the amount of systematic experimental work in the 18th and
19th centuries resulted in the discovery of many more elements and compounds.
Scientists were looking for ways to organise this information as a means of
identifying relationships and, thereby, understanding why elements behaved as they
did.
The five that represent known compounds are FeO, Fe2O3, PbO, PbO2 and ZnO.
Q17.
Consider the eight points of Daltons atomic theory as outlined and list:
a those that he based directly on experimental data
b those that are hypotheses consistent with the experimental data available to
Dalton
c any that you consider to be correct under certain conditions only
d any that you consider to be incorrect.
A17.
a
Q18.
In which way did Daltons path to his proposed atomic theory:
a differ from the approach taken by the Greek philosophers such as Democritus and
Aristotle?
b resemble the approach of the Greek philosophers?
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Copyright Pearson Australia 2010 (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
Daltons path to his atomic theory was based on the experimental results of the
early chemists such as Boyle and Lavoisier, whereas the Greek philosophers (as
their name suggests) were imagining what matter must be like. They were not
involved in experimentation.
Daltons method of arriving at proposals about the properties of atoms that were
not based directly on experimental evidence resembled the philosophical thinking
of the early Greeks.
Q19.
The concept of periodicity of elements was central to the development of the periodic
table. What is meant by the term periodicity?
A19.
Periodicity refers to any event (e.g. the seasons) or, in the case of chemistry,
properties of elements, that recur in a systematic way.
Q20.
Advances made by one scientist depend on the earlier work of others. Use a diagram
to illustrate how the work of Lavoisier, Dalton and Berzelius contributed to
Mendeleevs proposed periodic table.
A20.
Classification
Hypothesis formulation
Evaluation
Q22.
Dalton assumed that the atoms of two elements would most readily combine in a oneto-one ratio. This false assumption led Dalton to assign HO as the formula for water
instead of H2O. Despite conflicting evidence, Dalton obstinately clung to his
assumption, and it was some decades before this was shown to be incorrect.
Which step or steps in the sequence you decided on in Question 21 did Dalton
overlook?
Heinemann Chemistry 1 4th edition Enhanced
Copyright Pearson Australia 2010 (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
b
c
Mendeleev was essentially looking for similarities and differences among the
very large number of experimental observations and data that came from the
work of many chemists. He then grouped or classified elements on the basis of
these similarities in their properties and the properties of their compounds. He
may also have evaluated earlier versions of the periodic table and rejected them
because they did not fully explain these observations.
Mendeleev became aware that when he arranged the elements in order of
increasing atomic weight, there were properties that recurred at regular intervals.
He regarded this periodicity as an essential feature of his periodic table.
Mendeleev is regarded as a great chemist for his imagination in constructing a
periodic table that is very similar to the one we still use today. He was also
prepared to leave gaps in his table and predict the properties of the elements that
would eventually be discovered. His predictions proved to be impressively close
to the actual properties when they were later determined.
Q24.
We know more about the properties of mercury than did Priestley or Lavoisier. Use
your library or the Internet to identify the properties of mercury that make it unsafe to
use in a school laboratory.
A24.
Mercury is poisonous, both as an element and in its compounds.
As an element, mercury is volatile and its vapour causes damage if inhaled. Even
small spills of mercury will produce harmful vapour for many years if the liquid is not
completely removed. Mercury is also absorbed through the skin, so should never be in
contact with the skin. Compounds of mercury are toxic, and mercury poisoning has
been associated with eating fish (particularly shark, which is at the top of the food
chain and so concentrates mercury).
Mercury damages a number of the bodys systems, ranging from the nervous system,
brain function with associated memory loss and, in extreme cases, loss of ability to
coordinate ones muscles.