http://www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Introduction to Physical Science
Chemistry and You
Chemistry can help you understand the world around you. Everything you touch, taste, or smell is made of
chemicals, and chemical reactions underlie many common changes. For example, chemistry explains how food
cooks, why laundry detergent cleans your clothes, and why antacid tablets relieve an upset stomach. Other examples
are illustrated in theFigure1.11. Chemistry even explains you! Your body is made of chemicals, and chemical
changes constantly take place within it.
FIGURE 1.11
Each of these pictures represents a way
that chemicals and chemical reactions af-
fect our lives.Summary
- Chemistry is the study of matter and energy and how they interact, mainly at the level of atoms and molecules.
Basic concepts in chemistry include chemicals and chemical reactions. - Chemistry can help you understand the world around you. Everything you touch, taste, or smell is a chemical,
and chemical reactions underlie many common changes.