ABOUT THE SUBJECT
Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the study of matter, its composition, properties and reactions.
It is a universal course which is essentially concerned with the production of artificial substances by utilizing natural
components.
Among all the scientific disciplines, chemistry is often said to be the central part of science, as it is most
extensively connected to other fields of study. Some of these fields include environmental science, medicine, biology,
engineering, manufacturing, geology, astronomy and economics. To have an idea of how chemistry and its principles
are used in different fields, some applications are given below.
Principles of chemistry are used in chemical industries for manufacturing fertilizers, acids, salts, dyes, polymers,
drugs, soaps, detergents, metals, alloys and other materials that contribute to the national economy.
The techniques employed in the analysis of chemicals are used by the Geologists to identify rock samples, new
minerals and oil deposits in metallurgical applications.
Chemistry also finds its applications in tracking ocean currents, determining nutrients and measuring the rate of
exchange of nutrients between layers of ocean.
In physics, detection of new subatomic particles can be made easy by taking advantage of chemical properties
of various substances.
With a better understanding of chemical principles, it has now become possible to design and synthesize new
materials which have specific magnetic, electric and optical properties. This has led to the production of
superconducting ceramics, conducting polymers, optical fibers and large scale miniaturization (integration) of
solid state devices.
Chemistry plays a significant role in meeting human needs for food, health care products and other materials,
aimed at improving the quality of life. This is demonstrated by the large scale production of a variety of fertilizers,
improved varieties of pesticides insecticides for production of crop and huge variety of drugs for health care.
The modern science of chemistry is often categorized into four major areas namely inorganic chemistry, organic
chemistry, physical chemistry and analytical chemistry. Each of these areas are concerned with different aspects of
the properties and reactions of substances.
Chemistry-III introduced in the final year of B.Sc explains Inorganic, Organic and Physical chemistry inorder
to appreciate the fundamentals and their role in numerous applications.
ABOUT THE BOOK
An attempt has been made through this book to present both theoretical and problematic knowledge of
Chemistry. This book covers the complete syllabus of the subject as prescribed by OU. The content is
prepared as per examination point of view. The concepts or topics are explained in simple and easy language,
so that even an average student can easily grasp the subject knowledge.
It is sincerely hoped that this book will satisfy the expectations of students and at the same time helps them
to score maximum marks in exams.
Suggestions for improvement of the book from our esteemed readers will be highly appreciated and
incorporated in our forthcoming editions.