Cristina Spolti Lorenzetti, Anabel Cardoso Raicik, Luiz O. Q. Peduzzi
{"title":"Periodic law, chemical elements and scientific discoveries: considerations from Norwood Hanson and Thomas Kuhn","authors":"Cristina Spolti Lorenzetti, Anabel Cardoso Raicik, Luiz O. Q. Peduzzi","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09512-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-024-09512-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The theme surrounding scientific discoveries is quite neglected in and about the sciences, especially in terms of historical and epistemological understanding. Discoveries are often treated as simple information about dates, places, and people. This work presents discussions centered on historical episodes related to chemical elements and the Periodic Law, based on reflections by Thomas Kuhn and Norwood Hanson, aiming to highlight and contextualize specific scientific discoveries' conceptual and epistemological structure. With that in mind, issues related to the inseparability of the contexts of discovery and justification are recovered, along with the complex intrinsic structures of the genesis of scientific knowledge and distinct types and categories of scientific discoveries.</p>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"88 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141507616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research status of the periodic table: a bibliometric analysis","authors":"Kamna Sharma, Deepak Kumar Das, Saibal Ray","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09509-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09509-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper, we present a bibliometric analysis of the Periodic Table. We have conducted a comprehensive analysis of Scopus based database using the keyword “Mendeleev Periodic Table\". Our findings suggest that the Periodic Table is an influential topic in the field of Inorganic as well as Organic Chemistry. Areas for future research could include on expanding our analysis to include other bibliometric indicators to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the Periodic Table in the chemistry-based scientific investigations and even in the field of astrochemistry, which explores chemical processes in space, is intricately linked to fundamental chemistry. In this context, the quote of Carl Sagan is relevant where he eloquently expressed an inherent connection between chemistry and astrophysics: “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars.” In the ongoing study we have presented a ground level investigation of the conjecture of Sagan via Periodic Table based on bibliometric analysis whereas in the next level our aim is to present the stellar connection of it through Hertzsprung-Russel diagram as well as cluster of stars. The Periodic Table holistically serves as a foundational platform for understanding chemical elements both on the Earth and in celestial bodies. The present investigation fundamentally identifies the main working field of research and lays the groundwork for potential connections to astrochemical studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 2","pages":"301 - 314"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141194068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clashing perspectives: Kantian epistemology and quantum chemistry theory","authors":"Ricardo Vivas-Reyes","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09508-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09508-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this contribution, the role of epistemology in understanding quantum chemistry is discussed. Quantum chemistry is the study of the behavior of atoms and molecules using the principles of quantum mechanics. Epistemology helps us evaluate claims to knowledge, distinguish between justified and unjustified beliefs, and assess the reliability of scientific methods. In quantum chemistry, the epistemology of knowledge is heavily influenced by the mathematical nature of quantum mechanics, and models can be tested, proven, and validated through experimentation. This paper also discusses key concepts used in quantum chemistry, such as the wave-particle duality of matter and the uncertainty principle. This work utilizes Kant’s philosophy of science to frame debates and discussions in quantum chemistry, particularly with regard to the interplay between empirical observation and theory. Additionally, the text explores how Kant’s ideas about the role of the mind in constructing our understanding of the world can help us comprehend the counterintuitive phenomena of quantum mechanics and its applications in quantum chemistry theory.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 2","pages":"291 - 300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10698-024-09508-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140941567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An interactive approach to the notion of chemical substance and the case of water","authors":"Marabel Riesmeier","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09504-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-024-09504-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>From organic synthesis to quantum chemical calculation, chemists interact with chemical substances in a wide variety of ways. But what even is a chemical substance? My aim is to propose a notion of chemical substance that is consistent with the way in which chemical substances are individuated in chemistry, addressing gaps in previous conceptions of chemical substance. Water is employed as a case study to develop the account, not only because it is a familiar example of a chemical substance, but also because its structural peculiarities make it an ideal test case for drawing out potential issues and limitations. Examining four distinct views of chemical substance—the microstructural, thermodynamic, purification, and a functional/relational account—I conclude that each has considerable drawbacks when used as a standalone concept. However, these accounts are not rendered obsolete, but are combined into a semi-pluralist conceptual patchwork. My interactive account of chemical substance is consistent with existing substance descriptions and chemical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140941592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Deciphering the physical meaning of Gibbs’s maximum work equation","authors":"Robert T. Hanlon","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09503-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09503-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>J. Willard Gibbs derived the following equation to quantify the maximum work possible for a chemical reaction</p><p><span>({text{Maximum work }} = , - Delta {text{G}}_{{{text{rxn}}}} = , - left( {Delta {text{H}}_{{{text{rxn}}}} {-}{text{ T}}Delta {text{S}}_{{{text{rxn}}}} } right) {text{ constant T}},{text{P}})</span></p><p>∆H<sub>rxn</sub> is the enthalpy change of reaction as measured in a reaction calorimeter and ∆G<sub>rxn</sub> the change in Gibbs energy as measured, if feasible, in an electrochemical cell by the voltage across the two half-cells. To Gibbs, reaction spontaneity corresponds to negative values of ∆G<sub>rxn</sub>. But what is T∆S<sub>rxn</sub>, absolute temperature times the change in entropy? Gibbs stated that this term quantifies the heating/cooling required to maintain constant temperature in an electrochemical cell. Seeking a deeper explanation than this, one involving the behaviors of atoms and molecules that cause these thermodynamic phenomena, I employed an “atoms first” approach to decipher the physical underpinning of T∆S<sub>rxn</sub> and, in so doing, developed the hypothesis that this term quantifies the change in “structural energy” of the system during a chemical reaction. This hypothesis now challenges me to similarly explain the physical underpinning of the Gibbs–Helmholtz equation</p><p><span>({text{d}}left( {Delta {text{G}}_{{{text{rxn}}}} } right)/{text{dT}} = - Delta {text{S}}_{{{text{rxn}}}} left( {text{constant P}} right))</span></p><p>While this equation illustrates a relationship between ∆G<sub>rxn</sub> and ∆S<sub>rxn</sub>, I don’t understand how this is so, especially since orbital electron energies that I hypothesize are responsible for ∆G<sub>rxn</sub> are not directly involved in the entropy determination of atoms and molecules that are responsible for ∆S<sub>rxn</sub>. I write this paper to both share my progress and also to seek help from any who can clarify this for me.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 1","pages":"179 - 189"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10698-024-09503-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140834829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Connecting De Donder’s equation with the differential changes of thermodynamic potentials: understanding thermodynamic potentials","authors":"Mihalj Poša","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09507-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09507-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The new mathematical connection of De Donder’s differential entropy production with the differential changes of thermodynamic potentials (Helmholtz free energy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy) was obtained through the linear sequence of equations (direct, straightforward path), in which we use rigorous thermodynamic definitions of the partial molar thermodynamic properties. This new connection uses a global approach to the problem of reversibility and irreversibility, which is vital to global learners’ view and standardizes the linking procedure for thermodynamic potentials (Helmholtz free energy, enthalpy, and and Gibbs free energy)—preferably to the sensing learners. It is shown that De Donder’s differential entropy production in an isolated composite system is equal to the differential change in total entropy and that De Donder’s equation agrees with Clausius’ inequality. The useful work of the irreversible process is discussed, which with the decrease of irreversibility tends towards the hypothetical maximum useful work of the reversible process.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 2","pages":"275 - 290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140636709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydrogen over helium: A philosophical position","authors":"René Vernon","doi":"10.1007/s10698-023-09496-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-023-09496-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hydrogen is troublesome in any periodic table classification. This being so it may as well be placed in a position that confers desirable attributes to the arrangement of the elements, while notionally recognising its lineage to the group 1 alkali metals and the group 17 halogens. Since the noble gases bridge the halogens and the alkali metals, and hydrogen encompasses the transition from the alkali metals to the halogens, there is more to the idea of hydrogen over helium.</p><blockquote><div>\u0000 <p><i>Hydrogen…seems to claim an exceptional position</i> (Meyer 1870, p. 357)</p>\u0000 </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>\u0000 <p><i>The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes</i> (Proust 1927, p. 559)</p>\u0000 </div></blockquote></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 1","pages":"15 - 36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial 76","authors":"Eric R. Scerri","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09505-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09505-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 1","pages":"1 - 2"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140692571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ethics of the future of chemical sciences","authors":"José Antonio Chamizo, Gustavo Ortiz-Millán","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09500-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-024-09500-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The 2016 Royal Society of Chemistry’s report Future of the Chemical Sciences presents four different scenarios for the future of chemistry: chemistry saves the world; push-button chemistry; a world without chemists; and free market chemistry. In this paper we ethically assess them. If chemistry is to solve many of the greatest challenges facing the contemporary world, prioritization of research topics will need to be done explicitly on the basis of moral values, such as solidarity and equity, but also environmental justice, which will have to be central in determining a research agenda for chemistry. The decentralization of chemistry will also present ethical challenges to the research standards established by the scientific community. Ethical education in chemistry may help counteract these risks. We also argue that if chemistry and its subdisciplines are to fulfil their goal of generating knowledge and helping us solve the great challenges of the contemporary world, then it is ethically imperative that scientists from different disciplines be more open to interdisciplinary work. Finally, if the future of chemistry is in free market forms, then it is necessary that we pay more attention to the possible risks that this model has. We call attention to two: first, it is likely that problems that affect the lowest income countries or the most disadvantaged sectors of society, who do not have the means to pay for some of the goods and services, will not be addressed; second, the free market tends to foster unsustainable forms of development.</p>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140586068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karina Aparecida de Freitas Dias de Souza, Paulo Alves Porto
{"title":"Interaction, interpretation and representation: the construction and dissemination of chemical knowledge from a Peircean semiotics perspective","authors":"Karina Aparecida de Freitas Dias de Souza, Paulo Alves Porto","doi":"10.1007/s10698-024-09506-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10698-024-09506-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper proposes a theoretical approach to discuss the relations among reality, chemists’ interactions with it, and the resulting interpretation and representation of the acquired scientific knowledge. Taking into account that such relations are of semiotic nature, this paper aims at discussing in the light of Peirce’s theory of signs different descriptions of chemical activity and chemical education proposed by Alex Johnstone and elaborated by other science educators. In order to discuss the contributions and limitations of the proposed theoretical framework, and considering its potential interest for chemical education, an example on the communication strategies for the content ‘vapour pressure’ found in twentieth-century general chemistry university textbooks is also presented.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":568,"journal":{"name":"Foundations of Chemistry","volume":"26 2","pages":"255 - 273"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140586012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}