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Essay on Alchemy: The Key to Modern Chemistry

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Alchemy is considered the precursor to modern chemistry. When you think of chemistry, usually you think of an exact science; something very meticulous. Truthfully, it is. To be accurate and to obtain precise and desired results, it must be accurate. Alchemy, however, was not an exact science, it was a primitive approach to the elements and usually they looked to a deity to actually initiate chemical reactions. Thus we separated them, but for good reason. In today's time we us instruments to give us exactness and precision that mankind had formerly ignored. Throughout time you will see that mankind has used chemistry to solve its most complex of problems and build a world that 7 billion people have come to know as home. Alchemy dates back …show more content…

These people made a discovery that made most everything we know today possible. They made the discovery of iron purification. Iron is a fairly common element on earth. we can mine it deep form within the earth's crust, but it can be found in mountains and in caves, it can even be found on the surface and in our water. The problem is that it is very hard to find it pure. Many times you can find it as iron oxide or as an ore mixed with other metals and rocks. The Hittites experimented and were able to separate iron from the impurities that were in it. Iron's melting point is about 2800 degrees Fahrenheit (onlinemetals). The Hittites were able to create furnaces to achieve this temperature and bring forth a weapon that no other group of people had ever seen before. Iron is an amazing pure element, it has higher toughness and tensile strength than copper or bronze, which gave the Hittites great advantages in weapons and armor. This knowledge soon spread though. It spread to Egypt and then the Bantu speaking people became very proficient at making iron. Looking back at this discovery it amazes me. Something that primitive people were able to discover became such a great deal to the world. we use iron in building so many things. It is the main component of steel (which is iron that is enriched with carbon) and steel is used for skyscrapers, high tension cables, automobile frames and so much more. Here on earth we have a very abundant supply as well, the earth is

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