Chemistry is often a daunting subject for students, fostering a bewilderment that sets in upon their first encounter with the Periodic Table. This book demystifies an important aspect of the subject—chemical reactions—and demonstrates exactly how fascinating and fun chemistry can be. Starting out by explaining just what a chemical reaction is—and what it isn''t—the book details in accessible language the various kinds of chemical reactions that are possible. It draws upon readily comprehensible everyday examples, like rusting metal, baking bread, battery power, digestion, rotting eggs, and burning candles. The book then turns to a survey of the history of chemical research, beginning in the Ancient and Classical Worlds, progressing to the Medieval alchemists and Renaissance innovators, and ending with the leading lights of modern chemistry. Readers will be introduced to luminaries such as Antoine Lavoisier, John Dalton, Louis Pasteur, Dmitri Mendeleyev, the Curies, and Ernest Rutherford. It concludes with an inspiring examination of how current research and cutting edge developments are using chemistry and chemical reactions to save lives and insure continued life on Earth. This book amply illustrates the accessibility, relevance, and gee-whiz fun of chemical reactions.
