Introduction

My science fair experiment is about energy and if it can be conserved. My hypothesis is “If a chemical reaction happens but is restrained, then pressure will build up and energy will be efficiently stored.” My dependent variable will be the different quantities of chemicals, and my independent variable is if the energy can be stored.

Energy and fuels are great concerns in our days. My goal is to find out a way to store or to use energy released from synthesis. My goal is to find a new way to use or to store energy. This is important because the planet’s health is the most important thing, and this thing is not going well.

I will try to see if energy released during a chemical reaction can be stored. To do this, I will take different substances that have chemical reactions that make them synthesize. I will then put them in a sealed container for one week. During this week, I will observe to see if the pressure goes away, or if it will be there until I release it.

Chemistry had its beginnings in Greece, around 400 BC. Empedocles, a philosopher, suggested that everything on earth was made of four basic elements, air, earth, water and fire. He was the first to think about elements, and “started” chemistry. Several years later, Democritus said that everything in the world consisted of millions of atoms. His definition of the atom was the smallest thing you can have. He also said it was indestructible. About a century later, Aristotle said that the four elements suggested by Empedocles could be changed into any other element simply by adding heat, or by adding moisture. After the Greek era, there came a new era of chemistry. This new field was called alchemy. It started at around 100 AD in Egypt, where it was developed. Alchemy was a form of chemistry where educated people tried to convert lead and other elements into gold, which was of course because of the value of gold. As this form of chemistry spread all over the world, most of the knowledge we have today was discovered. For example, most of lab equipments like funnels, crucibles and balance scales were developed and used by alchemists. During the reign of alchemy, from 100 AD to around 1600 AD, scientific knowledge in the area of chemistry greatly grew. Then, later in the 1600’s, Robert Boyle became one of the first modern chemists, because of what he discovered. First, he said that theories must be supported by experiments. He then followed that motion with a series of experiments to prove that earth, air, water and fires were not elements and that they did not make up everything in the world. In the 1700’s, combustion was a popular subject for chemistry research. The phlogiston theory was made, later to be altered. Because of the phlogiston theory, many elements such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were discovered. Later in the 1700’s, a French scientist, called Lavoisier, proved many results of experiments based on the phlogiston theory were false, and corrected them. He also made the law of conservation of mass, which stated that the products that are the result of combustion had the same mass than the original ingredients. In 1803, a chemist, John Dalton, made a very important discovery. He theorized that each element had its own kind and number of atoms. He said that all atoms from an element had the same chemical properties and the same mass. Later in 1869, the periodic table was formed, predicting that new elements with specific characteristics would be discovered. Now, in the modern chemistry world, we know more than a hundred elements and we have a great knowledge of chemistry, how chemical reactions happen, how atoms react with certain factors and biochemistry.

There are many terms that need to be understood to be able to talk clearly and precisely about chemistry and chemical reactions. First, there is the atom, which is defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as “the smallest particle of an element that can exist either alone or in combination”. The atoms are tiny bits that make up all the matter in the universe. Atoms bond with each others, or stick together, to form molecules. During a chemical reaction, these bonds change. That is the definition of a chemical reaction, the change in the bonds of molecules or atoms. When a chemical reaction happens, two things usually happen. The first thing is an endothermic reaction, which is when bonds are broken and energy is taken in. This reaction takes away heat. The second thing that usually happens is an exothermic reaction, which happens when bonds are created. This releases energy, and heat. The most common known exothermic reaction is combustion. The third and least common thing to happen are athermic reactions. In a few rare cases where those happen, no energy is given or absorbed. Chemical reactions can be classified into six categories, depending on the reaction. The first is combustion, and a good example is the burning of fuel. The second is decomposition, which happens when a complicated molecule breaks down into smaller molecules. The third category is synthesis, which is when two simple molecules combine to create a more complex molecule. The fourth type is single displacement, where an atom goes from one molecule to another. The fifth type is double displacement, when two atoms go from one substance to another. The last type of reaction is an acid-base reaction, which happens when an acid and a base react with each other. With this knowledge of basic chemistry words, a person can understand a chemist.

The biggest controversy right now for chemical reactions and the potential for energy they have is with fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are very polluting and are getting at higher prices by the day. Also, the reserve of fossil fuels is getting low, and we need to find a different method to produce energy to fuel our cars, heat our homes and perform so many different tasks. Another controversy is that most chemical reactions are very polluting, like the production of paper, or the production of metals. Although there are controversies on the subject of environmental reliability of chemical reactions, there is also hope in the field. For example, with the use of chemical reactions, we can use hydrogen as a fuel. It does not pollute at all, in fact, instead of fumes coming out of the exhaust pipe of a car using hydrogen, there is water!  Chemistry has many advantages and disadvantages, making it a good prey for bad critics and good critics. It may be an environmental scandal in the present, but new technologies will be discovered.

The future of the field of chemistry and chemical reactions has beyond doubt some good in it and probably some bad. It will surely be a bumpy road but something good, as a 100% “clean” car may exist once and be available for the public. Chemistry is a very important subject, and chemical reactions are part of nature, so when we make new discoveries, we will be able to use what nature has provided us. It is reasonable to think that the next breakthrough in chemistry will be about pollution reduction or ecology. Although we think we know a lot about chemistry, there is positively much more to learn. Chemistry is the art of nature; therefore we only go along with it. The future of the field is too broad to specify, but it surely is glorious.