30-Second Chemistry

Book excerpt: 30-Second Chemistry presents the 50 most important ideas in the science of matter – its composition, structure, properties and how it changes. As the central science that bridges biology and physics, chemistry explains the diversity of all things tangible at a molecular level. Understand chemistry, and you’ll know why some things oxidize and others explode; why food is good to eat and coal is not. 30-Second Chemistry breaks the subject down into 50 bitesize elements that help us understand the nature of matter, including: • Atoms, molecules and compounds • States of matter • Chemical reactions and energetics • Inorganic chemistry • Organic chemistry • Biochemistry • Nuclear chemistry Chemistry is the heart of cooking, it can keep you safe, and it explains why things work. This book brings the subject out of the lab and boils it down to its essential elements – in just 30 seconds. If you like this, you might also be interested in 30-Second Elements, 30-Second Physics and 30-Second Biology.