(Image credit: Shutterstock) (opens in new tab) The five main branches of chemistry
One way a lot of people practice chemistry regularly, perhaps without realizing it, is in cooking and baking. The chemicals and chemical processes studied by biochemists are not technically considered "living," but understanding them is important to understanding how life works.Ĭhemistry is a physical science, which means it doesn't involve "living" things.
Most of the chemistry involved in research and development, such as making new products and materials for customers, falls within this purview.īut the distinction as a physical science becomes a bit blurry in the case of biochemistry, which explores the chemistry of living things, according to the Biochemical Society (opens in new tab). Chemistry as a physical scienceĬhemistry is typically considered a physical science, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica (opens in new tab), because the study of chemistry does not involve living things. These chemical compounds can then bond with other compounds or elements to form countless other substances and materials. Related: How are elements grouped in the periodic table?Ĭhemical elements can bond together to form chemical compounds, which are substances made up of multiple elements, like carbon dioxide (which is made of one carbon atom connected to two oxygen atoms), or multiple atoms of a single element, like oxygen gas (which is made of two oxygen atoms connected together). The elements that scientists have discovered so far are listed in the periodic table of elements, and include both elements that are found in nature like carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, as well as those that are manmade, like Lawrencium. Each chemical is unique, composed of a set number of protons, neutrons and electrons, and is identified by a name and a chemical symbol, such as "C" for carbon.
The main building blocks in chemistry are chemical elements, which are substances made of a single atom. The reason why chemistry touches everything we do is because almost everything in existence can be broken down into chemical building blocks.
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