Role of Chemistry in Every day Life Chemistry has played a key role in determining the nature of the modern world. In reality chemistry is much interesting for both study and practice. While defining chemistry let us consider a traditional definition which states ‘Chemistry is the science of matter which undergoes changes during chemical reaction’. But in reality chemistry goes beyond its traditional definitions. From the evolution of mankind itself, chemistry had a close connection with the daily acts of human beings.

So we cannot deny the contribution of chemistry. Every matter is related to chemistry; even we human beings are made of chemicals. Almost all changes that we see around are means of chemical reactions. From the human evolution, he was much fascinated by the natural changes that he observed in his surroundings which include change in the colour of leaves, forest fire etc. Observation of how forest fire occurs led man to experiment himself and succeeded in making fire by striking two stones together. This might be the first human contact with chemistry.

Let us now go through the role of chemistry as it has kept a long list of promises or benefits while applied in practical sense has contributed in our every day life. Application of chemistry has widely helped the growth of mining industries, discovery of new medicines, improvisation of fertilizers to be used in the agro industry, use of nano technology and mostly the development in nuclear power. Other than the above fields chemistry is involved in a number of other fields which support other subjects like Medical Science, Astrophysics, Space Research, Computer Application, and Agriculture. This list is incomplete as chemistry is widely used in a lot of other fields). On one side we speak about the positive side of chemistry, on the other side the there lies more concern over this science. Let us now go through the concerns of chemistry. As there are two sides of a coin, chemistry if not properly used can become the cause of the ‘death carrier’ of the planet that we live in. The biggest energy that we use for the development of energy is nuclear power which can also be used to build nuclear weapons.

The incidents happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki do remember us the massive effects brought by the use of this power. Added to this the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Bhopal gas tragedy and much recently the nuclear meltdown at fukoshima nuclear plants do remember us the tragedies that the world had faced during the past and still the effects are being carried to generations. The next fear would be none other than- ‘Biological Terror’. It is said that if a third world war occurs it would be warfare used by biological weapons.

The biggest terror would be if the secrets of combining chemicals to make weapons, it would be used by the terrorist groups who would try to create panic all over the world. Nothing to loose, the terrorists might try to spread different kinds of toxins and harmful gases among the large mass. Letters carrying anthrax spread in United States during 2001 would be an example to know how chemicals are negatively used. Every one is really concerned about global warming, the most dangerous effect due to the wide use of chemicals and the negative way of disposing it.

Scientists all over the world have already warned about the change in climate are due to the over use of chemicals. It is said that around 2000 tones of products are being added each day which makes the earth more dangerous to live. Burning of plastics, dumping of noxious waste has damaged the earth’s atmosphere which has brought depletion in the ozone layer. Studies have proved that this depletion has brought drastic changes all over the world.

Antarctica, the ice continent has now loosing its name as dangerous rays of sun had brought down the coolness of this polar region. The earth has now become too hot than ever because of the change in the atmosphere brought by the over spread of chemicals during the last couple of years. Even with a lot of warning from the scientist community, the earth is being more polluted day by day. New technological inventions to reduce carbondioxide, alternatives for plastic products must be developed to make our life on earth safe for both us and also to the future generation.