Chemistry is the branch of science that enables you to get food and other life items that you need to survive. When talking about chemistry’s importance in everyday life, no one can deny that nothing would be the same without it.
Personal care products, television screens, the refrigerator’s cold, computer circuits – they all exist due to Chemistry. This ever-growing science has improved numerous aspects; life itself is better thanks to Chemistry. Although some consider it a boring subject, it’s an interesting science that helps you understand different phenomena in your life.
Perhaps the top reason you should study chemistry is that it touches on various disciplines, including biology, physics, astronomy, engineering, and medicine. This means you can acquire knowledge on so many aspects of life, which can only benefit you.
If you’ve ever wondered how chemistry can help you, we’re here to answer your question. Studying this remarkable science is an excellent idea for both your personal life and career.
Chemistry is everywhere around you
The objects you use daily and your household products – chemistry exists in all of them. Here are some areas of life where chemistry plays a significant role:
- Food. Understanding chemistry allows you to interpret food labels and learn about vitamins, fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
- Energy. Energy and fuels are produced due to chemistry. And this doesn’t not only include batteries and fossil fuels but also biofuels and solar cells.
- Electronics. Speakers, video displays and silicon chips depend on elaborate chemical processes.
- Textiles. Textile chemistry means producing and processing natural fibres such as silk or cotton and synthetics like polyester or nylon.
- Cosmetics. Cosmetics are made of chemicals used to change your appearance.
- Health. Chemistry is imperative in this area of life – your health relies on biochemical reactions that happen in your body. Also, medical tests utilize chemicals to evaluate patients’ wellness.
And the list can go further, as chemistry also exists in agriculture, paper, plastics, metals, construction, and so on.
Reasons why you should study chemistry
It helps you stay educated about the things you buy
Studying chemistry enables you to become a knowledgeable buyer. Many foods are heavily processed nowadays, so it’s crucial to understand what you ingest. But food labels are pretty complicated, and it can be challenging to make sense of the various sweeteners, stabilizers and preservers that foods contain.
However, understanding chemistry terms such as Sodium benzoate or Citric acid helps you figure out which foods are safe and which ones you should avoid. What’s more, with basic chemistry knowledge, you can grasp the meaning of complex product labels. Consequently, what you buy will be based on informed decisions, and you’ll be able to tell the difference between a reliable product and a scam.
It teaches you how to stay safe in your home
Chemistry can keep you and your family safe, as you’ll be able to tell which household chemicals pose a risk if they are kept together. Plus, you’ll know which of these chemicals are dangerous to mix and their effects on the environment.
Additionally, you’ll be better informed on how to handle chemical products and what’s the best way to store them. And the best part about having this meaningful knowledge is that you can also share it with others around you and help them stay safe as well!
It helps you understand the world better
Almost everything in your life involves Chemistry, including what you hear, see, smell, touch and taste. It’s a constant interaction between matter. By studying chemistry, you’ll learn why chocolate tastes delicious or why a soap cleans.
Understanding the atoms’ structure or a molecule’s stoichiometry will help you know everything you use daily, from your toothpaste to your phone battery. From metal rusting to digestion, every single reaction in nature is controlled by chemistry. If you have an inborn curiosity and want to learn more about your environment, you can take an online chemistry course and immerse yourself in this fascinating science.
Studying chemistry can be very exciting, as you discover what basic elements form the things around you, the changes they undergo, and how they can develop new products. Chemistry teaches you all of this, revealing so many things that seem mysterious.
It offers several career opportunities
Besides improving your personal life, chemistry also opens doors to different career opportunities. If you love chemistry enough to turn it into a profession, the good news is you can choose from several options. You can specialize in nuclear chemistry, analytical chemistry or biological chemistry. It all depends on what interests you the most.
If you want to help humanity, you can become a Materials Scientist and discover ways to utilize recyclable elements like paper or plastic to create materials that can serve people’s needs. This is an excellent option if you care about the planet and want to reduce pollution.
Chemists also collaborate with engineers, doctors and biologists, so you will go beyond the chemistry field and learn about other sciences as well.
It makes you a better cook
Good chemists are good cooks. How come? Well, all food consists of chemical compounds, and the activity of cooking involves changing chemical bonds. You use matter’s properties to play around with oxidation, solubility, combustion and chemical reaction and get tasty ingredients.
The Maillard reaction is a primary chemical reaction that happens while cooking. It’s the reason why cooked foods end up being so delicious. This Maillard reaction occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars that exist in the composition of most foods. Many cooking techniques, such as roasting, frying and baking, include some degree of this chemical reaction.
It helps you understand the news
Nowadays, it’s impossible not to be bombarded with all sorts of news about water contamination, petrol pollution or medical discovery. But you most likely don’t understand much from all this information. But studying chemistry makes you more informed about the world around you. It helps you understand what happens if an underground aquifer gets contaminated or the consequences of an oil leak in the ocean.
Plus, national laws regulate most industries that participate in climate change. Once you understand what happens in your neighbourhood or country, you’ll become a more informed voter.