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Communicating about Matter with Symbols: Evolving from Alchemy to Chemistry

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Luigi Fabbrizzi

Dipartimento di Chimica Generale, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy

J. Chem. Educ., 2008, 85 (11), p 1501

DOI: 10.1021/ed085p1501

Publication Date (Web): November 1, 2008

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Modern chemists know that alchemists were their historical predecessors, yet they are not proud of this relationship, which chemists today tend to hide or forget. However, no discontinuity exists between alchemy and chemistry and we still use laboratory techniques that were invented by alchemists hundreds or thousands of years ago. Alchemists used a secret language and made an extended use of symbols to indicate substances and procedures. When—in the second half of the 18th century—alchemy became quantitative and evolved into the discipline of chemistry, symbols were abandoned and replaced by abbreviations and formulas. However, the nature of the communication about matter by chemists remains mysterious to the uninitiated.

Keywords (Audience):

General Public

Keywords (Domain):

History / Philosophy

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Communication / Writing

Keywords (Subject):

Nomenclature / Units / Symbols

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This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).

Octahedral Copper(II) and Tetrahedral Copper(I) Double-Strand Helicates: Chiral Self-Recognition and Redox Behavior
Valeria Amendola, Massimo Boiocchi, Valentina Brega, Luigi Fabbrizzi and Lorenzo Mosca
Inorganic Chemistry2010 49 (3), 997-1007
- Octahedral Copper(II) and Tetrahedral Copper(I) Double-Strand Helicates: Chiral Self-Recognition and Redox Behavior
  Valeria Amendola, Massimo Boiocchi, Valentina Brega, Luigi Fabbrizzi and Lorenzo Mosca
  Inorganic Chemistry2010 49 (3), 997-1007
  The racemic form of 5 (RR5 + SS5) gives dinuclear complexes of 2:2 stoichiometry both with CuII, acting as a bis-terdentate ligand, and with CuI, acting as a bis-bidentate ligand. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the CuII complex ...
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Evolving Alchemy into Chemistry: No Longer a Dichotomy
Pedro Cintas
Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (1), 17-17
- Evolving Alchemy into Chemistry: No Longer a Dichotomy
  Pedro Cintas
  Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (1), 17-17
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Invaluable Reference: Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry
Douglas A. Stuart
Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (8), 925
- Invaluable Reference: Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry
  Douglas A. Stuart
  Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (8), 925
  A critical resource was omitted in the recent article by Fabbrizzi titled “Communicating about Matter with Symbols: Evolving from Alchemy to Chemistry”.
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links