Unit Introduction
| Unit 1 | | | Alchemy |
1
Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) governed the Holy Roman Empire from 1576 to 1608. However, he often neglected his duties as ruler and is better known as an alchemist and patron of the arts.
The Granger Collection, NYC—All rights reserved.
In this unit, you will learn
what matter is composed of
to use the language of chemistry
to decode information contained in the periodic table
how new substances with new properties are made
what holds substances together
Dirk Wiersma/Science Source
Why Alchemy?
Chemistry has some of its roots in the ancient practice of alchemy. The alchemists experimented with trying to make gold out of ordinary substances. In the process, they learned a great deal about matter and about chemistry. When you understand the nature of matter and its composition, you will be able to answer the question, “Is it possible to turn ordinary substances into gold?”