Chemistry in everyday life

Our entire universe is made up of matter which is constantly changing forms and evolving into other forms of energy. Chemistry is defined as the study or science of this ever changing matter. The other sciences which we study commonly like biology, physics and mathematics are all dependent on chemistry and are known as specific studies under the elaborate subject of chemistry. Since there is chemistry seen in biological forms as well as physical states of nature, there are subjects called biochemistry and physical chemistry which help study these changes. There are many chemical changes which occur around us everyday but we are never aware of them.

Chemistry in Everyday Life Examples:

1) Water, which occupies 70% of the earth’s surface is made by two chemical elements, hydrogen and oxygen.

2) Soap is an emulsifier which allows oil and water to mix and so the oily mixtures on body and clothes can be removed after application of soap and water.

3) Chemistry in everyday life for kids can also include why vegetables are colored. Colored vegetables consist of chemical compounds called carotenoids which have an area known as the chromophore. It absorbs certain wavelengths of light and thus there are colored vegetables.

4) Food is cooked because of the steam that’s present either in the water added or that which is present inside the food items.

5) Onions make you cry due to the presence of sulfur in the cells which break after the onions are cut. This sulfur gets mixed with moisture and thus irritates your eyes.

6) You feel hungry because of the satiety center in your brain falls short of particular hormones to function and then sends the signal of hunger.

7) You fall in love, get attracted and have a feeling of belonging because of certain monoamines present in your brain which get stimulated through nerve sensors.

8) If you have wondered, why is the sky blue, it is due to a phenomenon called the ” Rayleigh scattering”, which depends on scattering of light through particles which are much smaller than the wavelength. Hence when light passes through gases, there is scattering and the sky appears blue.

9) Coffee keeps you awake because of the presence of a chemical called adenosine, in your brain. It binds to certain receptors and slows the nerve cell activity when sleep is signaled.

10) Anaerobic fermentation is also a great concept which is present in the chemistry of everyday life. It is present in yogurt, breads, cakes and many other baking products. It is the multiplication of certain useful bacteria which increase the size of the food and make it more filling and soft.

11) The food chain present in every ecosystem is also a major part of chemistry in everyday life. Even though it has more biological background, it eventually works because of its chemistry.