A student's perspective of relating chemistry to my life
Every day in math class someone asks the same question: Why are we learning this? Every kid wants to know why they’re spending 240 minutes each week doing what they are doing, but that’s where the problem comes in; either the teachers don’t have reasons, or the reasons are irrelevant in the mind of a student. Why do I need to perfect the graphing of the inverse tangent of a function? So I can pass next week’s test. It is more than likely I will never in my life need to know much of the information I learn in school past next week’s tests, yet I consume the majority of my teenage life sitting in uncomfortable desks tiring my writing hand learning these same things. When in the real world will I see it? Answer this question, and anyone can get into a student’s head. Much of what is taught in school becomes irrelevant outside classroom doors. Chemistry is relevant. Chemistry is everywhere. Chemistry is the world.
In four years, when I get out of bed it is not likely I will need to know the oxidation numbers of the components in my laundry detergent. I probably won’t need to balance the equation of the lactic acid reactions in my muscles. I would be surprised if I even remember what Avogadro’s Number is, but that’s ok. The point is, the chemistry of everything in my life is all around me, and from high school chemistry I understand that. I understand the basics of a world I never knew existed.
Every time it snows and I make my daily commute to school, I see chemistry beneath my car before I even get to the class. I understand the reason road salts help keep my tires between the lines. When I enjoy my daily lollipop before softball practice, I realize the evaporation, crystallization, and saturation of the 100 calories I’m about to digest. I then realize the acidic reactions occurring in order to digest my sugary product.
The world is made of chemistry, everywhere around us. It’s inescapable. Even if you tried to escape the world of periodic tables and reactions, it is all still right beneath your own skin, your flesh and bones. You are chemistry. Your body naturally contains 26 elements and undergoes so many chemical reactions on a daily basis, scientists say to number these reactions would be inaccurate. Too biochemistry to look inside? Then look outside.
Global warming is all about the chemistry. Every year when someone else asks you to save the polar bears, again, blame chemistry. It may be credited for some problems outside and a few too many sunburns, but it may also, one day, present the solution. The understanding of chemistry has presented us with many solutions over the years. While we still may not have quieted Al Gore, we have learned how to purify water, make shampoo, clean oil spills, mass produce coffee, run our cars off of algae, terminate blood clots, and through chemistry, the “biggie sized” fries I found in my car from last month look like they did the day I bought them.
The better we know chemistry, the better we know our world—and it’s the only place we have at the moment, so until establishing life on other planets is drilled into our high school skulls, I’d say chemistry presents a practical and vital knowledge to the future of our people, our progress, our planet.
