The Scope Of Chemistry : All About Chemistry

Chemistry is study of the material of the universe-matter-and its interactions. a chemist is a person who studies the composition,structure,and properties of matter and seeks to explain the changes that matter undergoes.

But what is matter ? Put simply, matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. The Earth, and everything on it, its composed of matter. We use terms such as substances, materials,object, and bodies when referring to matter. As we shall see throughout this article, matter is closely associated with energy and in some instances it cannot be easily distinguished from energy. At this time we will defer our discussion of matter and energy to complete our brief look at the scope of chemistry.

Chemistry overlaps with and is an integral part of the other sciences. Biology, the study of living system, applies chemical principles to help understand cells, the basic of unit life. Geology, the study of the earth, incorporates chemical observations to comprehend the processes that occur on earth.

Physics and chemistry, both physical sciences, overlap to a large degree because physics also deals with matter, energy, and the interaction of the two. The difference betweem physics and chemistry is that physicists are more interested in the fundamental components and regularities of nature and how they fit together to yield our universe. Chemists apply the same fundamental laws, often first elucidated by physicists , to gain a better understanding of the properties and behavior of matter.

The study of chemistry can be separated into artifical divisions or branches that categorize the most significant areas of the study. These overlapping divisions include (1)Analytical, (2) Inorganic, (3) Organic, (4) Physical, (5) Geological chemistry. An insight into each divisions is gained by looking at what various type of chemist study.

Analytical chemists examine, matter to find the identity and amount of its components. Most chemists use analytical procedures and techniques. Inorganic chemists study the properties, structures, and reaction of all elementary substances. As we shall see, one of these substances, carbon, has a special set of properties. Therefore, a division is devoted entirely to this vast topic. it is called organic chemistry. Organic chemists investigate substances containing carbon and attempt to produce new carbon compounds that make up living things. Physical chemists apply the concept of physics to better understand the behavior of matter. Lastly, geochemists investigate the structure and properties of substances found in the earth's crust, athmosphere, and oceans.

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