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Subject Topic: What Is A Chemical? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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JennGM
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 11:26am | IP Logged Quote JennGM
My almost 7 year old came in this morning wanted an explanation and print out of chemicals, kind of like a periodic table of the elements. He's hearing from different adults, "this is a chemical", the pool using chemicals, cleaning chemicals, etc.

I said it's a general term for these kind of agents, like we use "food" to categorize all things we eat.

But without getting too technical, is there a way to bridge the gap or explain a bit more? My science know-nothing is floundering. Is there an easy way to connect the Periodic table to chemicals? I said that some of the elements are combined to make some things, like the chlorine bleach or chlorine in the pool.

I don't mean to give him a whole lesson, but I could use a few pointers. He just is wanting to make some connections, to understand, and I don't know where to steer him for the answers.

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AtHomeScience
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 3:27pm | IP Logged Quote AtHomeScience
Well, I guess we're a little sloppy with our terms I give my answer without consulting a science book, so don't quote me on definitions

The Periodic Table contains elements. Two or more elements chemically combine to make a compound. Two or more compounds put together, though not chemically combined, make a mixture. All of them are chemicals.

Everything, really, is an element, a compound, or a mixture, so everything is a chemical. You could think of food as edible chemicals.

Man named "food" long, long before he named "chemicals." Chemicals were things alchemists, and then chemists, mixed together. I guess we never really came up with a better word for "non-edible stuff made in a lab."

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MaryM
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 4:47pm | IP Logged Quote MaryM
A "print out of chemicals" would be VERY lengthy - . I liked Kris' explanation. It's kind of confusing talking about "chemicals" for the reasons she mentioned. And the elements are also be refered to as "chemical elements" so as she said they are all chemicals.

Curious guy you have there. Sounds like a budding scientist...

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JennGM
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 6:36pm | IP Logged Quote JennGM
Kris, Very helpful! So, what do you refer to bottles of cleaner or other things that are hazardous? Dh is always saying "Stay away, I'm using chemicals!" But you're right, it's definitely sloppy terms.

MaryM wrote:
Curious guy you have there. Sounds like a budding scientist...


He does have the interest. I'm trying to foster as much as I can, but I'm a little clueless. I'm banking on the Charlotte Mason approach that given good materials, he will make his own connections.

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ekbell
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 6:45pm | IP Logged Quote ekbell
JennGM wrote:
Kris, Very helpful! So, what do you refer to bottles of cleaner or other things that are hazardous? Dh is always saying "Stay away, I'm using chemicals!" But you're right, it's definitely sloppy terms.


"I'm using hazardous chemicals!" (or dangerous or harmful).

Or more simply that the toilet bowl cleaner (or whatever) is dangerous - I don't actually use the word chemicals that often.

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JennGM
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Posted: July 17 2010 at 6:52pm | IP Logged Quote JennGM
Yes, I'm now laughing to myself because it's my dh that says it all the time. I was wondering if it was Central PA thing.

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