What is chemistry? 6
Chemistry in nature 8
Chemistry in ancient worlds 10
The first chemists 12
Investigating mixtures 14
Atoms and molecules 16
The elements 18
Investigating compounds 20
The periodic table 22
Looking at metals 24
Discovering nonmetals 26
Looking at air 28
Burning reactions 30
The noble gases 32
Chemical reactions 34
What drives a reaction? 36
Rates of reactions 38
Oxidation and reduction 40
Acids and bases 42
Forming salts 44
Electricity and chemistry 46
The chemistry of carbon 48
The chemistry of life 50
Organic synthesis 52
The first plastics 54
Making synthetic materials 56
The story of chemical analysis 58
Monitoring materials 60
The chemical industry 62
Did you know? 64
Timeline 66
Find out more 68
Glossary 70
Index