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A Brief History of Chemistry
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materials such as plastic,
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and medicines like our favorite
antibiotic penicillin,
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all originate from the chemical industry
of early Muslims,
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who were chemistry revolutionaries.
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the word ‘chemistry’ in Arabic
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is kimia with ‘al’ as the definite article.
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Thus, al kimia meaning the chemistry
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or alchemy in old English.
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who made early discoveries in chemistry,
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and how they are contributing
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towards our modern society today.
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The Father of Chemistry
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Can you guess who he is?
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Yes, he is Jabir ibn Hayyan
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or Geber as known by the West,
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was son of a druggist.
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to approximately 815 AD.
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He spend most of his time in Kufa in Iraq
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and scientifically systemized chemistry.
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He devised and perfected many
chemical processes like
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Most of these processes
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are still used the same way today.
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His most famous being his distillation process.
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The glassware he used
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were also designed by him,
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most of which are still shaped the same way.
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He also built a precise scale,
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six thousand four hundred and eighty
times smaller
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than a kilogram or 2.2 pounds.
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Jabir ibn Hayyan was also aware
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of atoms and compounds
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and how they combine to form bonds.
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He also attempted to make paper
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and ink that can allow us to read in the dark.
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His fascinating works
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were included in the Great Book
of Chemical Properties,
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The Weight and Measures,
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The Chemical Combination,
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The great work of his
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was all done in his laboratory in Kufa
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and was rediscovered during demolition
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of some houses in the area of Damascus Gate.
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Al Razi’s Book of Secrets
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Muhammad ibn Zakariya’ al Razi
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was known in the west by Rhazes,
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He is famous for writing books like
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‘The Book of Secrets’
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and ‘The book of Secret of the Secrets.’
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for the classification of natural
and artificial substances,
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giving birth to the modern day Periodic table
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One of his most interesting research
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was on water proofing fabrics
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and making hair dyes.
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and used more than 20 laboratory instruments,
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many of which are still in use
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cucurbit or retort for distillation.
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Al Kindi lived from 801 to 873 AD in Iraq.
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He is most famous for writing a book
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on the chemistry of perfumes.
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The book contained 107 recipes
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for different scents.
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Does this increase your love for chemistry?
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Do you have a great idea
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to write a chemistry book one day?
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as we dive deeper into the intriguing field
of chemistry
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to some of your greatest questions.
