Reflections on Connection of Chemisty to Franciscan Value - Essay Example

In three paragraphs, briefly explain how three different chemistry applications or areas of research discussed in your textbook, discussed in class, or in the media contribute to Franciscan values. For one, studying calorimetry which deals with the heat evolved or absorbed characterizes the value of “transformation” since a calorimetric process involves transfer of energy in the form of heat. Just like an individual who could change from ‘bad’ to ‘good’ character, energy could shift between forms or undergo inevitable conversion from electricity to heat such as the kind of energy transformation taking place in a calorimeter.

Following the law of conservation of energy which states that energy is given neither to generation nor destruction in this case, the continuous existence of energy by transformation implies that the amount of it and the rest of its properties remain. One must acknowledge that this concept is similar to the Franciscan value of transformation as it applies in the life of an individual who realizes the need to change aspects of living or character traits whenever a critical situation calls for it though such event occurs within the same person and transforms him or her not physically.

Thus, during transformation, the nature or identity is kept because the energy stays as energy and the person is still a person but the difference between the initial and final states would necessarily distinguish one form of energy from the other and if a person has improved or worsened compared to the first condition. “Diversity”, as another Franciscan value, may be perceived in Chemistry subject as it pertains to various possible chemical reactions that proceed spontaneously out of four types being simple, combination, single replacement, as well as double-displacement.

In school, students come from different socio-cultural backgrounds and while this sets barrier in communication, dealing with classmates of diverse ethnic origins helps one learn to adjust with different types of people. Likewise, chemical compounds whether ionic or covalent are formed out of reactants in diverse number when a metallic element combines with another metallic or non-metallic element to produce one such type of substance. Then when this is made to react with other substances of distinct atomic composition, a diverse set of products may be recovered yielding useful materials that are available for regular human consumption.

The value of diversity in an academic institution works in the same manner for the challenges encountered on interacting with individuals under a variety of circumstances and personalities pay off by providing opportunities toward personal growth. Besides transformation and diversity, “service” makes another essential Franciscan core value which may be observed in the purpose or action of certain substances used to carry out a desired chemical process. For instance, kinetic reactions occurring at high temperatures normally require catalysts or enzymes which serve to speed up the rate of reaction whenever favored.

To humans, this holds true as well especially for the academic learners who participate in teamwork to demonstrate strengths that compensate for the weakness of others. Similarly, it takes the service of a third chemical component in distilling two different liquids with close boiling points which, prior to the addition of the third component, remains ‘azeotropic’ or unalterable as such binary system can only manage to produce low concentration of distillates aimed for.