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The Chemistry Portal

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P:CHEM
Colourful solutions in test-tubes.
Welcome to the chemistry portal. Chemistry, from the Greek χημεία meaning "pour together", is a branch of science. Modern chemistry focuses on the study of elements of the world and the bonds between elements. Chemistry also deals with composition, structure, and properties of substances and the transformations that they undergo. In the study of matter, chemistry also investigates its interactions with energy and itself. Because of the diversity of matter, which is mostly in the form of compounds, chemists often study how atoms of different chemical elements interact to form molecules, and how molecules interact with each other.


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Featured article - Selected picture - News - Selected biography - History and Philosophy - Techniques - Equipment - Chemistry in society - Chemistry in industry - Periodic Table - Resources - WikiProjects - Things you can do - Collaboration of the month - Related portals - Associated Wikimedia
  

Featured article

Helium discharge tube shaped like the element's atomic symbol
Helium is a chemical element; its atomic symbol is He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and nearly inert monatomic that heads the noble gas series in the periodic table. Its atomic number is 2 and its boiling and melting points are the lowest among the elements. It exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions. Extreme conditions are also needed to create the small handful of helium compounds, which are all unstable at standard temperature and pressure. Its most abundant stable isotope is helium-4 and it has a rare stable isotope, helium-3. The behavior of liquid helium-4's two different states—helium I and helium II—is important to researchers studying quantum mechanics (in particular the phenomenon of superfluidity) and those looking at the effects that near absolute zero temperatures have on matter (such as superconductivity).

Helium is the second most abundant element in the known Universe and second lightest element in the periodic table. In the modern Universe almost all new helium is created as a result of the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. On Earth it is created by the radioactive decay of much heavier elements (alpha particles are helium-4 nuclei produced by alpha-decay). After its creation, part of it is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume. It is extracted from the natural gas by a low temperature separation process called fractional distillation.

In 1868 the French astronomer Pierre Janssen first detected helium as an unknown yellow spectral line signature in light from a solar eclipse. (The word helium comes from ancient Greek ἥλιος which is, surprisingly, cognate with the English sun.) Since then large reserves of helium have been found in the natural gas fields of the United States, which is by far the largest supplier of the gas. Helium is used in cryogenics, in deep-sea breathing systems, to cool superconducting magnets, in helium dating, for inflating balloons, for providing lift in airships and as a protective gas for many industrial uses (such as arc welding and growing silicon wafers). Inhaling a small volume of the gas temporarily changes the quality of one's voice.

  

Selected picture

Copper(II) sulfate
Credit: Stephanb

Copper(II) sulfate is one of the most familiar compounds of copper. It also occurs naturally as the mineral chalcanthite. It is commonly used in schools for growing crystals. The pictured substance is the pentahydrate form.

  

Categories

  

History and Philosophy of Chemistry

Antoine Lavoisier

Many chemists have an interest in the history of chemistry. Those with philosophical interests will be interested that the philosophy of chemistry has quite recently developed along a path somewhat different from the general philosophy of science.

Other articles that might interest you are:

There is a Wikipedia Project on the History of Science and a portal for the philosophy of science.

  

Chemistry Resources

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Wikipedia:WikiProject Chemicals/Data is a collection of links and references that are useful for chemistry-related works. This includes free online chemical databases, publications, patents, computer programs, and various tools.

Science is Fun University of Wisconsin–Madison Chemistry Professor Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, shares the fun of science.

megaConverter The Web's best place to figure out what equals what.

General Chemistry Online Clear text and comprehensive coverage of general chemistry topics by Fred Senese, Dept. of Chemistry Frostburg State University

General Chemistry Demonstration at Purdue Video clips (and descriptions) of lecture demonstrations.

Intota Chemistry Experts A large online listing of real-world chemistry expert biographies provides examples of the many areas of expertise and careers in chemistry.

Chemistry Webercises Directory A large listing of chemistry resources maintained by Steven Murov, Emeritus Chemistry Professor Modesto Junior College.

MathMol MathMol (Mathematics and Molecules) is a good starting point for those interested in the field of molecular modeling.

Chemistry Educational Resources and Essential References from Wiley, the world's largest chemistry publisher

ABC Chemistry A directory of free full-text journals in chemistry, biochemistry and related subjects.

The Element Song A goofy little song about all of the elements.

  

In the news

  

Selected biography

Marie Curie
Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a Polish physicist and chemist, and a leading figure in the early science of radioactivity. Along with her husband Pierre, she discovered the elements radium and polonium. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, along with her husband and Henri Becquerel, thus becoming the first woman to earn a Nobel – 8 years later, she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, thus becoming the first person to receive 2 Nobel Prizes, and the first to do so in two different fields. The only other scientist to have achieved this feat is Linus Pauling. Her death was from aplastic anemia, widely believed to be due to her massive exposure to radiation.
  

Techniques used by chemists

  

Equipment used by chemists

  

Chemistry in society

  

Chemistry in industry

  

WikiProjects

  

Periodic Table

  

Things you can do

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Here are some things you can do:

  

Collaboration of the Month

Nuvola apps edu science.png The current Chemistry Article Improvement Drive is Sodium hydroxide.
Every month a different chemistry-related topic, stub or non-existent article may be picked. Please improve the article any way you can.
  

Related portals

  

Associated Wikimedia

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