Chemistry

People often talk about the computer revolution but for the average person this doesn't mean much. People need to see an example to get a better understanding. When I studied chemistry in school it was common for a student seeking a masters degree to create a new chemical compound. The student would normally do this by taking an existing compound and adding another compound to it. This new compound was named according to the rules developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC). The student then using various lab techniques calculates the qualities of the new compound, things like boiling point, density and solubility. These lab procedures often took many months or sometimes years. In today's world the starting chemical is available on line and can be placed upon the computer screen. Next the student adds the new compound to the existing compound on the screen and the new compound is made. Then with a click all of the qualities of this new compound will be displayed. These results are not 100% accurate and need further refinement but for most purposes they allow the chemist to save thousands of hours of lab work. This new compound can then be reacted with other compounds to predict end products and all done on the computer.