Why Chemistry Is Science That Will Always Be Helpful In Daily Life

Let’s face it. Almost all of us hated chemistry when we were at school. This was probably due to the fact that chemistry is closely connected to math and physics, which most of us don’t like in the first place. Meanwhile, even the most basic knowledge of chemistry can be very helpful in daily life.

Chemistry wasn't everyone's favorite. Quite a while ago, The Washington Post uploaded an interview with Roger C. Shank, a cognitive scientist, who explained why many subjects in school are unnecessary. According to him, the knowledge of elements and ''the formula of salt'' is completely useless in real life, unless you're planning to become a doctor.

About that time, when this interview was posted, The New York Times did an interview with 12 students, asking them about their favorite school subject, and only 3 of them said they liked science (which chemistry is a part of), while others claimed that they needed regular homework help in chemistry.

So, if we hate chemistry so much, why is it still a part of our school curriculum? Or maybe chemistry can actually be useful in real life?

To your surprise, it can! And here’s how.

I bet that when you do chemistry homework and then go to your kitchen to grab a snack to fuel your brain, you don’t even think that chemistry is directly related to the food you eat on the daily basis.

When you eat bread or any pastry you love so much, you don’t think of a chemical reaction that happens between the components of the pastry to help it become so delicious and savory (i.e. gluten).

Meanwhile, chemistry and food are interconnected, and understanding the chemical reactions that happen when you prepare food helps you understand cooking better. You can identify what food is good or bad for you, you know how to get exactly the right amount of vitamins each day, and you know which foods can actually harm you.

Remember organic chemistry? Seemed to be a useless subject, especially when it comes to learning organic compounds, carbon chains, etc. This is that part of chemistry when students need help with chemistry homework the most. Meanwhile, understanding the basics of organic chemistry is essential in your daily life.

All the products you use to clean your house, wash your dishes and even brush your teeth, come with different chemical compounds in them. While some of them are safe to use on a daily basis, others may contribute to the indoor air pollution that can cause allergies and many other diseases.

For instance, phthalate esters that you typically study during your chemistry course at school, are harmful chemicals added to household cleaners to create a fragrance.

Meanwhile, it is convenient to have a good-smelling cleaner to use for washing floors, it can be very harmful to your health, causing endocrine problems and asthma. Knowing this will help you choose an all-organic cleaner to keep your household healthy.

You’ve been in this situation every day: you go to see your doctor to get treatment, they prescribe you a pill, you take it regularly and feel better. But what you probably don’t understand is why a particular medicine helps against a certain disease.

Our body is one big chemical reaction. When it deteriorates due to a disease, you need to restore it with a help of medicine, which is often a compound of different chemicals that work together against certain symptoms of a disease.

Knowing how your body works and what chemical reactions happen in it helps you understand not only how medicine works, but also why it's important to take it regularly. If something in your body dysfunctions, you need regular treatment, or it will be ineffective. So, chemistry affects your life because you are living and breathing thanks to it.