People were using principles of chemistry thousands of years ago. The ancient Egyptians, for example, used chemistry to develop materials for embalming and mummifying their dead. Early farmers discovered that animal waste helped plants grow and developed the first fertilizers. But chemistry as modern scientists know it didn’t exist until the 17th and 18th centuries.
Fun Facts about Chemistry for Kids
- In 430 BC, Democritus of Greece said that the atom is the simplest unit of matter.
- From 300 BC to the 1500s, alchemists tried to turn ordinary materials into gold. They also searched for a serum that could cure disease and make people live longer – or forever. Alchemists called this the Elixir of Life.
- Robert Boyle wrote an important book, The Skeptical Chymist, in 1661 which discussed chemistry as separate from alchemy. This book disproved Aristotle’s theories and marked the end of the study of alchemy.
- Antoine Lavoisier discovered the law of conservation and mass in 1783.
- John Dalton published his Atomic Theory in 1803, which states that matter is composed of small and indivisible atoms.
- In 1897, Marie Curie discovered uranium and thorium. She also discovered radium and polonium, and received two Nobel Prizes for her work.
Vocabulary
Embalm: to treat a body to slow or prevent decay
Animal waste: manure
Alchemy: the study of the natural world to gain wisdom; in particular, alchemists wanted to learn the secrets of making gold and prolonging life
Disprove: prove something to be untrue
Q and A
How did the early scientists make their discoveries?
Answer: The same way scientists do today – through research, study, and experiment. Many discoveries occur by accident or unexpectedly.
What Is Chemistry
- Chemistry is like a big puzzle! It helps us figure out how different pieces fit together to make the world around us.
- Chemistry is like a cook in the kitchen! It helps us mix and match different ingredients to make new things.
- Chemistry is like a scientist in the lab! It helps us understand how different substances react with each other and change form.
- Chemistry is like a detective! It helps us figure out what different things are made of and how they work.
- Chemistry is like a magic show! It helps us understand how matter can change from one form to another in amazing ways.
Who Invented Chemistry
Ancient civilizations studied and used ingredients for cooking, medicine, and metallurgy. In the 18th and 19th centuries, chemists began to rigorously study and classify chemical substances and their behavior, which led to modern chemistry.
Antoine Lavoisier, the “Father of Modern Chemistry,” helped create modern chemistry. Lavoisier invented chemical elements and the rule of conservation of mass. He developed the first modern chemical nomenclature, which is being used today.
John Dalton invented the current atomic theory, Jöns Jacob Berzelius created modern chemical symbols and the periodic table of elements, and Marie Curie discovered new elements and studied radioactivity. These and other scientists advanced chemistry.
Learn More
To learn more about events in chemistry history, visit Columbia University.
Head over to Nautilus to learn about an eccentric early inventor.