How Is Chemistry Used in Everyday Life?

In everyday life, the use of chemistry is evident in a person’s environment; in the preparation of food, different household products and in the manufacture of cosmetic and pharmaceutical supplies. For example, the atmosphere, which humans need for life, is the composition of different elements like oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen.

Every day people use different household products like bleach, ammonia, soap and detergents. These products are all made through different chemical reactions. For example, the making of soap is a chemical reaction that requires the heating of fats or oils and causing a reaction with an alkali to produce soap and water. The process is called saponification.

The foods people prepare contain substances like baking soda and vinegar, which are examples of a base and acid, respectively. Salt, which is sodium chloride, is another substance used in cooking.

Likewise, the medications and drugs that people use are different pharmaceutical compounds made in a laboratory. The manufacture of textiles, plastics and cosmetic goods all involve the use of chemistry for their fabrication.