We have been using Chemistry in everyday life since time immemorial. Applying lotions, cooking food, washing clothes, and cleaning the house – chemistry has been at work in almost everything. Chemistry is a science discipline used almost everywhere, from photosynthesis to the composition of rocks, because Chemistry deals with matter and its composition in different components of the universe.
There are some fascinating uses of chemistry in everyday life that we shall discuss in detail here.
Here are some examples:
- Soaps and Detergents
- Cooking
- Drugs
- Cosmetics
Chemistry in Everyday Life Examples:
1. Soaps and Detergents:
We use soaps in our daily life for various reasons, such as bathing, washing hands, washing utensils etc. However, the primary function of soap is to work as a cleansing agent. Several chemicals are mixed to provide a good cleansing effect when combined with water.
Soaps are made with a combination of long fatty acids such as oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Saponification is one process where glyceryl ester of fatty acid is heated with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to make soap. Soap is an interesting use of chemistry in everyday life.
The different types of soaps are:
- Medicated soaps,
- Soap powders,
- Transparent soaps,
- Floating soaps,
- Soap chips.
Detergents are in powdered form. They are harder than soap as they are used to clean clothes and utensils. Detergents work in both soft and hard water. Detergents with straight-chain hydrocarbons are preferred as they are biodegradable and environment-friendly. The different types of detergents are:
- Cationic Detergents: The cationic part comprises a long hydrocarbon chain and a positive charge on nitrogen atoms. Cationic detergents have quaternary ammonium salts of acetates, chlorides, or bromides as anions.
- Anionic Detergents: The anion part of anionic detergents does the cleansing action. The composition of anionic detergents includes alkyl hydrogen sulphates.
- Non-ionic Detergents: Liquid detergents are an example of non-ionic detergents. In these detergents, there is no involvement of ions.
2. Drugs:
Drugs are another example of chemistry in everyday life. The use of drugs for therapeutic, diagnosis and prevention of diseases has revolutionised the healthcare industry. Drugs are classified based on chemical structure, drug action, pharmacological effect, and molecular targets.
Based on therapeutic actions, the drugs are antacids, antihistamines, tranquillisers, analgesics, antibiotics, antiseptics, antifertility or fertility drugs. In addition, we often use medicines to treat pain and prevent acidity and skin irritation, which is a very common use of chemistry in daily life.
- Antacids: Initially, the most basic use of antacids was to treat acidity. A drug manufactured by combining sodium hydrogen carbonate or a mixture of aluminium and magnesium hydroxide was used to treat acidity. Later, metal hydroxides became more famous for treating acidity as they prevented pH increase in the stomach. Histamines came as the best option for treating hyperacidity because of its action that stimulated increased secretion of pepsin and HCL in the stomach. Drugs cimetidine (Tagamet) and ranitidine (Zantac) are some of the largest-selling antacids drugs.
- Antihistamines: Antihistamines counteract the work of histamine. When ingested in the body, histamine acts as a vasodilator, which means it contracts the smooth muscles in the gut and bronchi and relaxes the muscles of fine blood vessels. Antihistamines do not affect acid secretion in the stomach, as antacids and antihistamines have different receptors.
- Neurologically Active Drugs: The work of a NAD drug is to affect the transfer mechanism from nerve to receptor. Neurologically active drugs are of two types.
- Tranquillisers are used to treat stress and mental diseases. Tranquillisers are present in sleeping pills. The effect of a tranquilliser is that it relieves anxiety or stress and even helps maintain irritability or excitement.
- Analgesics, on the other hand, are used to treat or reduce pain by preventing any major side effects such as paralysis or mental confusion. Analgesics are of two types: Non-Narcotic and Narcotic drugs.
- Antimicrobials: Drugs that are used to treat bacterial, viral, fungal or any other pathogen-caused infection come under the antimicrobial category. These are of two types.
- Antibiotics are substances produced by chemical synthesis that inhibit or stop microorganisms’ growth. Penicillin was the first antibacterial drug which was discovered by Alexander Fleming. Based on inhibition or cidal effect, antibiotics are classified into bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics.
- Antiseptics are used to treat wounds, cuts, ulcers or any skin-related medical condition. Antiseptics can be applied in the form of ointment, powder, or lotions. Dettol is a common example of chemistry in everyday life. In addition, iodine has good antiseptic properties. Other examples of antiseptics are iodoform and boric acid.
- Antifertility: An antifertility drug is a birth control pill. These contain synthetic progesterone and estrogen, which prevent natural pregnancy. These pills are pretty strong and can alter hormone secretion in the body.
3. Food
Chemistry is applied in food through preservatives, food colours, flavours, sweeteners, nutritional supplements, etc.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener discovered. Since then, artificial sweeteners have gained much popularity as they are not harmful to the body and people with diabetes. Some other examples of artificial sweeteners are aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and alitame.
- Food Preservatives: Food preservatives are yet another exciting use of Chemistry in daily life. As the name suggests, preservatives prevent food spoilage so they can be preserved for a long time. The most common food preservatives are salt, vegetable oils and sugar. Have you ever wondered how the pickle in your house has been used for years and doesn’t go bad?
- Food Colours: Food colours are used in rice or curry to give them the desired colour. Food colours are also used to make and decorate cakes. They are tasteless but may or may not have a smell.
- Food Flavours: Flavours are artificially synthesised food additives that provide the essence and taste of a natural substance. For example, a pineapple or any other flavoured cake, an orange or chocolate biscuit.
Conclusion:
Chemistry is a branch of science that touches many aspects of our lives. From everyday chores to industry uses, chemistry is applied everywhere. There are many more interesting facts and uses of chemistry in daily life that you can apply or try out by yourself. By observing your surroundings, you can find everything that has an application of chemistry in everyday life.
