Introduction
The more involved I got in chemistry, the more I realized why so many people avoided it. It seemed so removed from normal life. The words and ideas seemed to belong in a separate world, and if you didn't speak the language, you were lost. Some teachers were actually proud of this ivory tower attitude.
I was lucky enough to have some teachers who not only loved the topic, but also really wanted to excite others with that same love. As the only chemistry student also majoring in interpersonal communications, I soon realized a big problem-quite a few scientists have very little training in effectively communicating their ideas to people outside their world. That unfortunately keeps these worlds separate.
If the average person understood some of the basic ideas of chemistry, their world would be a richer, more fascinating, and more easily understood place. Chemistry is all around you-when you cook, clean, work, etc. Knowing what is going on behind your everyday activities can help you do them better. It can help you remove that stain better, bake a better cake, even keep your car running better. It can be easily understood. By starting with things you already know, this course can start to open the door to the world of chemistry.
Keep in mind this course is very basic, and geared toward someone who might be intimidated by science. It will focus on some everyday situations that involve chemistry. I have structured this so that an average person, as well as a high school or GED student, can learn this. I have avoided all of the math parts. These lessons will focus on understanding the general aspects of atoms, elements, matter, reactions, and the thought processes used. I also included some of the most popular experiments for beginning chemists. Additional details in energy, speed of reactions, repulsive molecules, and naming, will probably be included in a follow-up class.
Lessons
Click here to see course syllabus
