Chemistry in Everyday life

Chemistry and chemical reactions are not just limited to the laboratories but also the world around you. The element carbon forms the basic unit of organic, inorganic, and organometallic compounds. Right at the moment when you go to sleep till you wake up, infinite chemical processes are taking place in each cell of your body. Even processes occur when you wake up, all your daily activities like drinking water, taking a shower, cooking your food, cleaning your car, laughing or crying are guided by different chemical processes. Let’s discuss some examples of chemistry which occur around us:

1. Body Composition

Your body is a fascinating place. Carbon and oxygen are the two most essential elements of the body. The other elements which are present in your body are nitrogen, phosphorous, hydrogen, oxygen, calcium, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, etc.

2 Chemistry in Food Production

Plants produce food for themselves through photosynthesis; which is a complex chemical reaction in itself. The chemical reaction that takes place in photosynthesis is the most common and vital chemical reaction. Animals also release energy for carrying out daily activities through similar respiratory chemical reactions.

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light → C 6H12O6 + 6 O2

3The Chemistry of an Onion

Ever wondered why you shed tears while chopping an onion? This also happens because of the underlying chemistry concepts. As soon as you slice an onion, sulfenic acid is formed from amino acid sulfoxides. Sulfenic acid is responsible for the volatile gas, propanethiol S-oxide, that stimulates the production of tears in the eyes.

4 Chemistry in Rust Formation

iron instruments start developing an orange-brown flaky coating called rust. The rusting of iron is a type of oxidation reaction. The atoms in the metal iron undergo oxidation and reduction; causing rusting. The formation of verdigris on copper and the tarnishing of silver are also the other everyday examples of chemical reactions. The chemical equation underlying rusting is:

Fe + O2 + H2O → Fe2O3. XH2O

Chemicals of Food in Everyday Life

In food materials following chemicals are widely used,

1. Colouring agents

2. Artificial preservatives

3. Flow stabilizers

4. Binding substance

5. Artificial sweetness

6. Antioxidants

7. Minerals

8. Vitamins

Except vitamins remaining substances do not have nutritional value.

Also Read: Important Questions on Chemistry in Everyday Life

Artificial Preservatives: These prevent spoilage of food by stopping the growth of microorganism. For example, Sodium benzoate, sodium meta bisulphate.

Artificial Sweetness: These do not impart any calories to the body. Since these substances are excreted through urine. For example,

1. Aspartame: It is used in cool drinks and ice-creams.

2. Alitame: It is 2000 times sweeter than sucrose.

Antioxidants: These prevent the spoilage of food by preventing the oxidation of food. For example,

1. Butylated hydroxyl tolerance (BHT)

2. Butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA)

Dyes are coloured organic compounds that are used to impart colour to the various substrate, including paper, leather fur, hair drugs cosmetics. Dyes are classified into Natural dyes and Synthetic Dyes.

Chemistry of Cleansing Agents in Everyday Life

What are Soaps and Detergents?

Soaps are sodium or potassium salt of higher carboxylic acid such as stearic acid, Palmitic acid and oleic acid whereas detergents contain a long chain of alkyl groups. Detergents in comparison to soaps can also function in hard water.

Saponification: Alkaline hydrolysis of triesters of glycerol to form soap is known as saponification. Soaps do not function in hard water since they precipitate in it.

How do soaps work?

Soaps are generally sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. Soap molecules have a hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic part. While the hydrophilic part clings to the water when washing, the hydrophobic end clings to the dirt particles. Thus, when we pour away the water, the dirt particles wash away with the soap molecules.

Also Read: Cleansing Action of Soaps and Detergents

Types of Soaps

1. Toilet Soaps: Potassium soaps are softer than sodium soaps.

2. Floating Soaps: These can be prepared by beating soap bubbles.

3. Transparent Soaps: This contains soap dissolved in excess of alcohol and it is evaporated.

4. Medicated Soaps: These contain soaps by adding little amounts of Dettol, Savlon etc.

5. Laundry Soaps mainly contains Sodium rosinate, borax.

Types of Detergents:

Anionic Detergent: In this, anion acts as detergents. For example, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

Cationic Detergents: In this type, cation acts as a detergent. For example, Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.

Non-Ionic Detergents: These are neutral. The whole molecule acts as a detergent. For example, Polyethylene glycol stearate.

Chemistry of Cosmetics in Everyday life

Cosmetics contains the following categories of chemicals.

• Emulsifier: These increase the stability of the emulsion. For example, Potassium cetyl sulfate.

• Preservatives: These are added to cosmetics to increase their shelf life. For example, benzyl alcohol, salicylic acid.

• Thickeners: These given an appealing consistency. For example, Cetyl alcohol, Stearic acid.

• Emollient: These soften the skin by preventing water loss. For example, Glycerine, zinc oxide.

• Glimmer and Shiners: For example, mica, bismuth oxychloride.

Other Examples of Chemistry in Everyday Life

Let us now discuss some common examples of chemistry in everyday life which most of us never knew about.

The Expiration Date on Bottled Drinking Water:

Have you ever wondered why there is an expiration date on a bottle of drinking water, after all, it is just water isn’t it? Well most of us haven’t even noticed that there is, in fact, an expiration date on that bottle. The idea behind instilling an expiration on bottled drinking water is to standardize the packaging quality of it.

What the actual expiration date signifies is if the expiration date is up, the taste of the water will be different as there is a chance of the chemicals in the packaging material ruining the quality of water.