Author Description

"Every substance has physical properties that we can measure and describe, including shape, colour, and texture. For example, the iron girder shown in Figure 1.1 has a lustrous silvery colour and a smooth texture. Substances also have chemical properties, such as their flammability. Macroscopic physical and chemical properties can be observed with the eye. The underlying or microscopic structure of a chemical substance requires magnification to be observed. The magnified view of iron shown in Figure 1.1 reveals fissures and pits that are not visible in the macroscopic view. Still further magnification eventually reveals the building blocks of matter. This, the molecular or atomic view, is an essential part of every chemist's thinking"--