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Hi, my name is Ryan. I haven't had much experience with chemistry except for madatory classes in High School over 20 years ago. We use science a lot in metallurgy and chemistry at work.

When the everyday person thinks of chemistry or a chemist I believe they think of lab coats and powders. Maybe they have visions of beakers and magic potions that explode! Chemistry is a very important aspect of science in our everyday lives including food science and material science.

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Hi, I'm Jacinda and I'm based in the NT. My main experience with chemistry was mostly high-school chemistry over 7 years ago. I did briefly study chemistry at an in-person university but due to circumstances I was unable to work full time as well as be an internal student. I enjoyed it a lot back then and am keen to see how things go with this unit.

I think the everyday person pictures chemistry, as many people have already pointed out, the stereotypical lab-coat and laboratory setup "mad-scientist" style. Either that, or just a general pharmacist.

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Most recent experience with Chemistry is working as HVAC & R technician using compressed gassed like R410A or R32 and few others ,understanding how some of them are blended together and we can only charge them as liquid forms due to their mix and how some or no odorous while others are flammable .Apart from that formally last i studied chemistry was in year 10 of high school .

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My most recent experience with anything science based is likely my last subject of my associates degree, which was physics. otherwise, I have studied chemistry in year 11 which was quite a while ago. I touch lightly on chemistry and physical compounds in terms of conductivity, and certain dangerous chemicals as my job as an electrical technician on ship.

I think the everyday person likely considers someone that is a chemist probably wears a white lab coat and works at chemist warehouse. I believe a chemist/chemistry is someone who has a deeper understanding and utilises their knowledge of the elements and compounds to get a desired outcome. A good example of this in Australia would be ore purification in the mining industry.

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Dushyant Carpenter

It has been over 25 years since I worked with Chemistry. At the time I really enjoyed it and was working in a paint industry manufacturing various resin, mostly epoxy and polyurethane resins.

It feels nostalgic coming back to Chemistry after such a long time.

I have studied and worked with people who absolutely love Chemistry and also have friends who find it intimidating. Never the less science/chemistry is all around us and we- the carbon based life form would not be here without chemistry.

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My most recent academic experience with chemistry was back in Year 10 during science class. I don’t remember all the details, but I do recall doing some basic experiments and learning about chemical reactions and the periodic table. Since then, I haven’t studied science in a formal setting, but I currently work in the electrical field. Chemistry isn’t really something I actively think about however its very intertwined in my work, it’s involved in how batteries work, the materials used in wiring for different types of insulation, and how transformers use a special type of mineral oil to disperse heat from the core and extend their lifespan. We often call it the “transformer’s blood test” when we’re testing one.

When people picture a chemist, or at least how I do, it’s usually someone in a white lab coat, safety goggles, blue gloves, and using long tweezers to dip some element into a beaker of liquid. Then, there’s a big explosion or chemical reaction. That image most likely comes from the media we’ve all grown up with, like movies, TV shows, and cartoons such as The Simpsons. It’s easy to forget, or not even realise, that chemistry is part of everything in daily life, from hand soap to how long my food stays fresh.

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The last time I had anything to do with chemistry was year 11 back in 2015, and, I failed miserably. This was purely due to the amount of effort I put in back then, now with motivation I plan to do better.

Regarding the question, I can see a photo of Walter White and now That's the only thing I can think of regarding this question. TV/Media.

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Chemistry science exists in all aspects of the motor vehicle. As a mechanic, everyday presents matter of all types. For some, without realizing. It was not until I grew up a little, and desired to understand the operations a little more over time, that I started to pursue the ‘how’, and less of the ‘just because’

The most obvious compound that stands out is unleaded fuel. Also known as a hydrocarbon, made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms.

The stoichiometric value for a complete combustion is 14.7 kilograms of air, to 1 kilogram of fuel. This ensures all oxygen within the cylinder has combusted completely.

The hydrocarbon is stored in the vehicle as a liquid. Now, even though the hydrocarbon is extremely volatile, it will not ignite as a liquid, and must be converted to a vapor/gas. The unleaded fuel has a low flash point, making it extremely flammable. Pressurizing the fuel with the use of a fuel pump, and the use of injectors for each cylinder, fuel is sprayed into the cylinder as fine particles/gas, then ignited with a spark.

Without going off track, the after affect of this chemical reaction converts to mechanical energy. If we have complete combustion, we have an engine that will run efficiently.

If we do not have complete combustion, we need to understand if we have a lean mixture of more air than fuel. Or, on the other hand, a rich mixture of less air than fuel.

Some old school mechanics, and engine tuners like to use the term fat and happy, referring to a rich mixture. However, in some cases this has been proven to be incorrect, and cause follow on effects. Opposite to this, a lean mixture can be detrimental to the main components within the combustion chamber. Allowing the oxygen in the cylinder to excessively heat up, causing hot spots that create a follow-on effect of pitting the hardened surfaces within the cylinder.

I’ll keep it short for now, as there are many other areas in which chemistry science exists before we even turn the key.

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I currently work as a Maintenance Planner specializing in earthmoving equipment. My role involves coordinating and scheduling maintenance activities to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and safety of heavy machinery used in operations. This includes managing service intervals, parts procurement, and liaising with technicians and suppliers to minimize downtime and maximize equipment efficiency.

My most formal experience with science was during Year 12 back in 2004 in South Africa, where I studied Chemistry. As part of the curriculum, I participated in various practical experiments, including the fermentation of pineapple to produce alcohol. These hands-on activities provided valuable insight into chemical processes and sparked my interest in applied science.

People often imagine a chemist as someone in a white lab coat, wearing safety goggles, surrounded by bubbling flasks and colorful liquids. This image is heavily influenced by movies, cartoons, and science classrooms.

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My most recent exposure to what I would consider to be chemistry or the science profession would be working underground at Pajingo mine in far north Queensland. I was operating a Raisebore Drill rig and due to ground conditions (Clay bands contained within the bedrock) we were directed by the client to limit our water use down the hole to keep the clay from swelling which would entrap the drill string during the backreaming process. I had previously had issues with this from a prior site as the hole was upcasting which leads to the dust being sucked back up the hole and gathering around the drill string, leading to the exact problem that we were attempting to avoid in the first place. After having my recommendation of simply running less water down hole to avoid the other problem, we had the stabilising rod collect enough dust to form a solid biscuit of dust that bound up in the hole and very nearly caused several million dollars worth of equipment to be permanently embedded in the ground. We did manage to unbind and lower the reamer back to the ground where it became obvious that the problem I had experienced previously and attempted to warn of had happened once again.

To alleviate this issue I proposed that instead of simply water we could make a mix of "drill mud" (a polymer based fluid that is used to help float cuttings out of the hole) and a lubricant solution that is sometimes used to assist in the presence of "hole squeeze" (when the ground conditions allow the hole diameter to shrink over the time spent drilling). The idea was to increase the viscosity of the fluid going down the hole to prevent the absorption of it into the offending clay bands that my have caused their own problems if they swelled due to hydration and also decrease the friction involved with turning the drill rods in the ground.

Without the quite clever chemistry involved in the development of these materials, it would not be unfair to say that either; the million+ dollar project would have had to be abandoned or there was an uncomfortably large chance that we could have had to abandon multiple millions worth of equipment in the hole, had the worst case scenario come to pass.

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hi my names chloe, recenty enrolled very excited to continue through this course ive had a bit of experience with basic chemistry in highschool and at ecu when i was studdying a little bit of nursing a few years ago i found it very interesting.

changing a sodium nitrate solution using seaweed and colour changing other elements using chloride and salt solutions i cant remeber what elements where used however i know it was super fun and i considered doing it as a full time job. i did work in a lab for a bit where i had to do little chemistry tests in the water each day to ensure my oh levles on certain tanks where above average ect. using certain solutions to get the desired resukt adn if not adding a lttle extra cyanide to the mix definantly change those parameters.

when i think of chemistry and my backgriound and knowlegde on the topic i am amazed to think that everything around us is chemistry its all composed of molecules and atoms, whether pur or mixed and its so amazing.

when i comsider another person look on chemistry i generally consider them to see and think of chemistry only things that happen in the lab or behind secret doors, a few people i know perform naturally chemistry at home with cooking ect but other people just see it as its where the lab is and the conversation dims from there.

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Working with hydrocarbons and in the aviation fuelling industry for the past 10 years have provided me with insights into certain aspects of chemistry. I was involved with quality control testing to ensure there was no water in Jet fuel by use of Shell water detectors. Also ensuring the quality of the fuel was within specifications for use such as the correct density. We also used Millipore test kits and a color metric chart to identify contaminants from other chemicals in the Jet fuel also.

Prior to this, my understanding of chemistry and what i feel most people's perception on chemistry was people in white coats mixing substances together to create all types of reactions.

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the last time i studied chemistry in particular was in grade 10 in high school, i don't have much experience using chemistry in the real world aside from maybe cooking. i did work at a machine hire company where i learnt about different fuel compositions and how different engines require different fuels and why that is, i also have experience mixing 2 stroke oils with petrol to suit different engines.

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My exposure to science has been one of perpetual most of that comes from my youth as my mum was a high school science teacher. Then as most young men in the 80s I became a fan of all things Sci Fi from the classics all the way back to the 1950s to moden day (circa 1990's). Fast forward to recent times and chemisty has played a hugh part in my life when it came to eating healthy for strength and conditioning training, beating cancer with chemotherapy, working with the ADF as an instuctor but most importanly navigating being a Dad to an amazing little 7yr old son.

When I consider the question about how society views chemisty, I would have to say with a positive interest. This would be a result of the media's uptake with recent TV shows such as Breaking Bad, Lessons in chemisty. This is not a new however some of my favorite films such Army of Darkness and the entire Star Trek franchise engage with chemisty at some point. Replicator anyone?

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Chemistry was a mandatory subject/course at Year 9 at Philippines when I studied back in 2010. Was never good at it but I'll do my best.

When I told my friends that I would be doing chemistry this study period, they have imagined that I would be handling chemicals and create "magic" through mixtures of whatever substances.

As for Chemist, I would assume everyone thinks it's drugs or chemist warehouse.

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One of the first things that pops up when I searched "Chemist".

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Aside from high school, a good example of practicing chemistry would be when I worked at a mineral separation plant for a mining company. I worked in the lab and one thing I did every day was mix samples with a viscous liquid to separate the dense mineral from the less dense sand.

Most people's perception of what a chemist is, is probably formed from television and other popular culture. As others have mentioned, someone in a white lab coat mixing substances.

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The last time I did chemistry was.... when I was still in high school? But to think about it deeper, I actually do it everyday in my kitchen! I guess mixing sauces to marinate some chicken counts?

"What do you think the everyday person pictures in their mind when they consider a chemist and/or chemistry?" Hmm, probably some mad, curly-haired scientists donned in their lab coats doing explosive experiments in a lab? (like in the cartoon Dexter's Laboratory)

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I am a process operator at a chemical plant so I am dealing with basic chemistry every day. However, I want to understand more about what is going on in the process so that I can do more in my role and eventually transition to the Chemistry Lab Manager. The last time I studied was in 2007, year 10 at high school. So hopefully study is just like riding a bike.

I think people picture a chemist to have a white lab coat and safety goggles, changing colours of solutions in beakers and conical flasks.

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I’m Graeme, refreshing my chemistry knowledge after first studying it in high school. More recently, I’ve engaged with chemistry through my work supporting a start-up developing technology to study material degradation under radiation. This course will be a valuable foundation as I move into my engineering studies.

When most people picture chemistry, I think they imagine a mad scientist’s lab filled with bubbling beakers, test tubes, and Bunsen burners—or perhaps pharmaceutical research, or even the reactions powering stars. It’s a field that sparks images of curiosity, discovery, and transformation.

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I have had some moderate exposure to chemistry within the water treatment industry where pH and certain reactions would be required for membrane cleaning of desalination plants, as well as testing for fouling to ensure cleaning chemicals did not react in a way that caused permanent damage due to solids precipitating out of solution within this cleaning process. Moving away from this field and back into my hobby of home brewing beer and cider, I use a lot of lessons learnt in water treatment to fine tune pH reactions with hops to get a more specific taste out of my brews, as well as using my understanding of water to neutralize other elements within water for a better water quality.

When most people think of chemists, they picture a mad scientist in a white coat, cackling while tossing mysterious solutions into beakers — somewhere on a scale between Rick Sanchez’s chaotic genius and Walter White’s… let’s call it “entrepreneurial chemistry.”

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My most recent experience with chemistry would have been during my time working as a CNC Fitter and machinist, where everyday we would machine different metals we would have different cooling systems depending on the metals we were machining, we also built different rock and dirt tumbling machines for some mining and environmental study companies and got to see them work in their labs.

I currently don't work in an industry that deals with chemicals at all as I currently work in finance I do however dabbled in 3D printing

I guess most people's perception of Chemistry is people in lab costs looking at things through microscopes and mixing volatile chemicals together to create reactions.

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My experience with science has been very electrically focused. I studied physics in year 11, then started my electrical apprenticeship once I'd finished year 12. I've now been a qualified electrician for 3 months (I know it's not been that long, but becoming an engineer has been somewhat of a dream of mine). Most days I have to consider EMFs, voltage drops, current-carrying capacities, conductor materials, pneumatic systems and Ohm's Law.

My chemistry is pretty rough, but I am keen to learn more.

I think most people imagine a chemist as someone who is wearing a white lab coat, filling up test tubes and mixing things up to make new things.

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My experience with chemistry is around high-school. Doing it in year-12 7 years ago. At the moment I work in various placements and I need to be familiar with Safety Data Sheets and having a general understanding of the hazardous side-effects certain substances can have on humans, as well as storage conditions. etc.

I think the average person thinks of someone in a lab mixing up chemicals and performing distillations, or trying to make a new compound to sell.

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My experience with science is mostly from school completed 12 years ago. Science was one of my strongest subjects at school, but I took only physics for my senior years. I began a secondary science teaching degree at university but dropped out to take on a job in auto electrics. Science and chemistry plays a major role in my current job, such as electrical principles and chemical mixes in different battery types, as well as plant equipment operational fluids.

I believe people's initial perception of chemistry is someone working within a laboratory, making adjustments to formulae to experiment and achieve their desired outcome from their work.

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I haven't had experience with chemistry specifically since I studied it in high school nearly 30 years ago. However, I used to be an electronics technician and still dabble for fun so I do have some knowledge of chemical interaction in semiconductors and how super useful solder can be.

Depending on your age, I think that, when asked about chemistry, many people would picture Brian Cranston in Breaking Bad.

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The most recent experience I've had with science is an engineering physics course I did last trimester. The last time I studied chemistry was last year (year 11) as part of a biology course.

I think, for the everyday person, the idea of a chemist conjures up the image of a white-cloaked person filling/mixing beakers full of interesting liquids, while the concept of chemistry brings to mind the study of matter, compounds, elements and atoms as well as atomic bonding and the periodic table of elements.

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My recent experience with chemistry is only slightly related to my current job as a Pool Operator at a Recreation Centre. I calculate and maintain regulatory chemical levels of the pools and frequently handle chemicals. Dealing with liquid and solid chlorine as well as acid to maintain correct sanitation, PH and alkalinity levels. In the academic field, I haven't studied chemistry specifically since Year 11, almost 6 years ago, but it has always been an interest of mine, just not to the same degree as with maths and physics.

I think people picture chemists as someone in a lab conducting experiments with test tubes and beakers. I learnt in high school with research projects, that is not the case and contribute a lot more than fun fizzy reactions.

Thanks :)

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The last time I did science would be physics last semester and previous to that in highschool (10ish years ago). Through work as an operator of a cold mill I am surrounded by concepts of science every day. Previously I worked on a coupled pickle line and cold mill, means I was able to work with acids and see how they effects the properties of steel. Meaning if it was left in the acid too long or not long enough, what would happen while reducing the strip thickness and overall quality. In my current role, there is a large focus on rolling oils and coolant systems. This is used to lubricate work rolls, bearings and screws. That reduce the steel. The main property of the coolant is the oil concentrate, this is crucial to being able to roll a quality product. With too much oil in the coolant it may cause slipping and mill wrecks, where as not enough will cause roll skid and mill wrecks.

I also use a microwave regularly to heat food so go science.

This is a long one so i appreciate the read.

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I don't really have any experience with science profession the extent of my experience essentially consists of year 10 chemistry that I studied 14years ago. although it may not be academic science has been a constant in my life be it at work or at home e.g. cooking at home having to use many methods recipes and temperatures to achieve the right results. at work I would have to assess and know what materials to use to prevent rot or rust or termites. e.g. knowing what treated timber to use or knowing if we need to add chemicals to concreate to help it dry on a cool day or using stainless steel or aluminum if working near the coast to prevent corrosion.