To MOST PEOPLE ,alcohol is the strong stuff in beer, wine, and hard liquor. But to a chemist, this is just one of many alcohols. Alcohols may be considered hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen (H) atoms are replaced by
MANY THOUSAND years ago, an early ancestor of yours pushed a stick into the hot lava flowing from an erupting volcano. The stick burst into fire. He held it up as a torch. It gave off light and heat and finally turned into ashes. This ancient man might be considered the world's first chemist. He had actually taken a substance called wood and had, by a chemical process called combustion or burning, turned it into something else. The discovery of the use of fire was the first great step leading to
THE CHEMICAL WONDERS of today are amazing enough — but they are like nothing compared to the
wonders the future holds in store for the welfare of all humanity.