* 2021 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in
Middle Grade Longlist
* 2021 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
* 2021 EUREKA! Nonfiction Children's Honor Book
Aspiring young chemists will discover an amazing group of role models
and memorable experiments in Chemistry for Kids, the debut book of The
Kitchen Pantry Scientist series.
Replicate a chemical reaction similar to one Marie Curie used to purify
radioactive elements. Distill perfume using a method created in ancient
Mesopotamia by a woman named Tapputi.
This engaging guide offers a series of snapshots of 25 scientists
famous for their work with chemistry, from ancient history through
today. Each lab tells the story of a scientist along with some
background about the importance of their work, and a description of
where it is still being used or reflected in today's world.
A step-by-step illustrated experiment paired with each story offers
kids a hands-on opportunity for exploring concepts the scientists
pursued, or are working on today. Experiments range from very simple
projects using materials you probably already have on hand, to more
complicated ones that may require a few inexpensive items you can
purchase online. Just a few of the incredible people and scientific
concepts you'll explore:
Galen (b. 129 AD)
Make soap from soap base, oil, and citrus peels.
Modern application: medical disinfectants
Joseph Priestly (b. 1733)
Carbonate a beverage using CO2 from yeast or baking soda and vinegar
mixture.
Modern application: soda fountains
Alessandra Volta (b. 1745)
Make a battery using a series of lemons and use it to light an LED.
Modern application: car battery
Tu Youyou (b. 1930)
Extract compounds from plants.
Modern application: pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
People have been tinkering with chemistry for thousands of years.
Whether out of curiosity or by necessity, Homo sapiens have long loved
to play with fire: mixing and boiling concoctions to see what
interesting, beautiful, and useful amalgamations they could create.
Early humans ground pigments to create durable paint for cave walls, and
over the next 70 thousand years or so as civilizations took hold around
the globe, people learned to make better medicines and discovered how to
extract, mix, and smelt metals for cooking vessels, weapons, and
jewelry. Early chemists distilled perfume, made soap, and perfected
natural inks and dyes.
Modern chemistry was born around 250 years ago, when measurement,
mathematics, and the scientific method were officially applied to
experimentation. In 1896, after the first draft of the periodic table
was published, scientists rushed to fill in the blanks. The elemental
discoveries that followed gave scientists the tools to visualize the
building blocks of matter for the first time in history, and they
proceeded to deconstruct the atom. Since then, discovery has accelerated
at an unprecedented rate. At times, modern chemistry and its creations
have caused heartbreaking, unthinkable harm, but more often than not, it
makes our lives better.
With this fascinating, hands-on exploration of the history of chemistry,
inspire the next generation of great scientists.
Dig into even more incredible science history from The Kitchen Pantry
Scientist series with: Biology for Kids, Physics for Kids, Math
for Kids, and Ecology for Kids.
