What is chemistry?

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What do you, a raindrop, Jupiter, and a cheese sandwich all have in common? You and they are all made of very tiny particles called atoms and molecules. In fact, so is everything in the Universe! But don’t bother trying to see them. Atoms and molecules are so small, scientists can only view them with very special equipment.

There are over a hundred different types of atoms. There’s hydrogen, carbon, gold, uranium, and many more. When atoms combine, they form molecules. For example, one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms combine to form a molecule of carbon dioxide gas. And one hydrogen atom and two oxygen atoms combine to form a molecule of water! Thirsty? How about a nice glass of hydrogen and oxygen atoms!?

Chemistry is the science of atoms and molecules. It answers questions like: How do atoms and molecules behave? What happens when they combine? And because everything is made of atoms and molecules, chemistry is also the science of how these particles behave in plants and animals, deep inside the earth, in space—anywhere you find them.

Thanks to chemistry, we combine different molecules into new materials like plastics. We also create new medicines, cars that don’t pollute as much, parts that go into electronic devices like computers, and much more.

Who would’ve thought such tiny little things like atoms and molecules could be so important?!

Your First Chemistry Experiment!

With a little help from an adult, you can do a very simple chemistry experiment. (It’s not dangerous—but you should have an adult help you so you don’t make a big mess.)

You’ll need some baking soda, a bottle of vinegar, a spoon, and a bowl. First, place the bowl in the sink. Now, scoop a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda into the bowl. Next, slowly pour some vinegar into the baking soda…and watch what happens!

Do you see all the bubbles? There’s a chemical reaction going on! The molecules in the vinegar and the baking soda are breaking apart and forming lots of molecules of carbon dioxide gas and water. The bubbles you see are bubbles of carbon dioxide that you’ve created!

So, how does it feel to be a mad scientist!?