Seifert, Vanessa A. (2024) The value of laws in chemistry. Foundations of Chemistry, 26. pp. 355-368. ISSN 1386-4238

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Abstract

In philosophy, the empirical success of a science is often explained by the fact that it has managed to discover some law(s) of nature. This line of thought has not been thoroughly explored with respect to chemistry. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap by showing how we could think about laws in chemistry. Specifically, it briefly presents how laws of nature are understood in philosophy of science. It then discusses two case studies from chemistry—the periodic table and chemical reactions—and explains how general ideas about law-hood can be applied to these cases. Lastly, it presents research questions and philosophical problems that arise by considering chemistry from the perspective of laws. This analysis illustrates that there is value in thinking about laws in chemistry.

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Item Type:	Published Article or Volume
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Seifert, Vanessa A. vs14902@bristol.ac.uk 0000-0002-5391-0791
Keywords:	Laws of nature; periodic table; chemical reactions
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Chemistry General Issues > Laws of Nature
Depositing User:	Dr. Vanessa A. Seifert
Date Deposited:	19 Dec 2024 13:27
Last Modified:	19 Dec 2024 13:27
Item ID:	24416
Journal or Publication Title:	Foundations of Chemistry
Publisher:	Springer
Official URL:	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10698-0...
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1007/s10698-024-09523-z
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Chemistry General Issues > Laws of Nature
Date:	27 September 2024
Page Range:	pp. 355-368
Volume:	26
ISSN:	1386-4238
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24416

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