Base

 SI Units
Base (or basic) units
, are the fundamental units of SI. There are seven 
base
 units, which are listed in Table 1.6.11.6.1, Chemistry uses five of the 
base
 units: the mole for amount, the kilogram for mass, the meter for length, the second for time, and the kelvin for temperature. The degree Celsius (°C) is also commonly used for
temperature. The numerical relationship between kelvins and degrees Celsius is as follows:
K=°C+273

Table 1.6.11.6.1: The Seven 

Base
 SI Units
 Property Unit Abbreviation

length meter m

mass kilogram kg

time second s

amount mole mol

temperature kelvin K

electrical current ampere amp

luminous intensity candela cd

The United States uses the English (sometimes called Imperial) system of units for many quantities. Inches, feet, miles, gallons, pounds, and so forth, are all units connected with
the English system of units. There have been many mistakes due to the improper conversion of units between the SI and English systems.
 The size of each 

base
 
unit
 is defined by international convention. For example, the kilogram is defined as the quantity of mass of a special metal cylinder kept in a vault in France (Figure 1.6.11.6.1). The
other 
base
 units have similar definitions and standards. The sizes of the 
base
 units are not always convenient for all measurements. For example, a meter is a rather large 
unit
 for describing the width of something as narrow as human hair. Instead of reporting the diameter of hair as 0.00012 m or as 1.2 × 10−4 m using scientific notation as discussed in
section 1.4, SI also provides a series of prefixes that can be attached to the units, creating units that are larger or smaller by powers of 10.

Prefixes Used with SI Units

Prefix Abbreviation Multiplicative Factor Multiplicative Factor in Scientific Notation

giga- G 1,000,000,000 × 109 ×

 Prefixes Used with SI Units

Prefix Abbreviation Multiplicative Factor Multiplicative Factor in Scientific Notation

mega- M 1,000,000 × 106 ×

kilo- k 1,000 × 103 ×

deca- D 10 × 101 ×

deci- d 1/10 × 10−1 ×

centi- c 1/100 × 10−2 ×

milli- m 1/1,000 × 10−3 ×

micro- µ* 1/1,000,000 × 10−6 ×

nano- n 1/1,000,000,000 × 10−9 ×

*The letter µ is the Greek lowercase letter for m and is called “mu,” which is pronounced “myoo.”
Every day, we encounter chemistry in daily life. However, you may struggle to recognize it, as, after all, it is ingrained
in your daily routine.
Before you continue reading, I want you to take a moment and think of how you use chemistry in your daily life. And
no, we’re not talking about home science experiments. Have a good think!
Okay, we’ll give you a few instances. Chemistry is used in daily life for numerous tasks, including eating safe foods,
boiling water to kill bacteria, using antibacterial soap, and more.
As you can see, there are many applications of chemistry in daily life; you likely just don’t recognize them. 
So, this blog post will highlight a few of these instances in more detail.

Brushing your teeth

Let’s start at the beginning of the day – you wake up, likely have a big stretch, and head to the bathroom to brush your
teeth.
Well, not only is your toothpaste made using chemistry and chemicals, such as fluoride, but your mouthwash contains
chemicals, too. Sure, while you may not swallow it, it does a job: eliminating bacteria from your mouth and providing
you with a clean, confident, and white smile.

Making that first cup of joe 

Okay, you’ve brushed your teeth, and now you’re on your way to the coffee machine or kettle.
Well, those coffee beans bind to the boiling water, sugars, and other flavorings – the result? That delicious cup of
coffee you can’t live without.
Eating safe food
We’ve discussed this in another article previously. However, we often forget how heavily involved chemistry is in the
foods we eat.
For example, chemists are responsible for testing foods and ensuring they meet safety standards. Furthermore, many
chemists work directly with food chains and manufacturers to ensure all food is safe to eat. The same applies to
drinks, too.
Imagine how chaotic the world would be if you were playing Russian roulette every time you took a bite out of a
sausage roll. Not fun.

Cooking food is also a part of chemistry in our daily lives 

Alongside eating food, cooking food is also a large part of chemistry in daily life.
Cooking food, specifically heating foods up, is essential. Not only does it kill harmful bacteria and microorganisms, but
it makes food more digestible and safe for consumption. 

Pharmaceutical drugs are essential chemistry in daily life 

Often, we forget just how lucky we are in the modern world. Have you got a headache? Just pop an ibuprofen and
you’ll likely be okay.
However, this wouldn’t be possible without chemistry in daily life.
Drugs work because of chemistry – the compounds contained in these drugs bind to the receptors in our body,
changing our perception of pain and acting to block these transmitters.
Chemistry and Covid-19
I know, I know… we didn’t want to bring it up. However, now especially, it’s difficult to avoid a discussion about
the coronavirus.
But we’ll keep it short.
Firstly, chemistry is used to create antibacterial soap and handwashes, responsible for killing those nasty germs that
could get you sick.
Also, chemists were responsible for developing the Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots. Without a vaccine, arguably,
many more people would have unfortunately lost their lives, and the world would still be in a state of lockdown.
So, currently, chemistry in daily life has never been more prevalent. Perhaps you did a Covid-19 swab this morning?

The clothes we wear on our backs

Chemistry is involved in daily life to the point of the clothes on our backs. Often, chemical dyes are added to clothes.
Moreover, some clothing items add chemicals to make them wrinkle-free or to stiffen them for a different look and feel.
In fact, some brands add chemicals to help fight off bacteria and mold – keeping your favorite denim jacket clean.

The bottom line

This article has highlighted the many applications of how we use chemistry in daily life. As you can see, there are
many uses. But these are just a handful.
Chemistry is used all throughout the day, whether you realize it or not.
However, maybe you’ll think about it the next time you boil the kettle, heat up these leftovers, or put on your favorite
denim jacket, and it feels a little bit stiff and edgy.