What is chemistry?
Chemistry is the science that studies matter: what it is made of, what its properties are, how it changes and what energy is involved when it changes. Everything you can touch, taste or smell is matter, so chemistry is all around you: the food you cook, the soap you wash with, the fuel in a vehicle and the medicine in a clinic.
| Branch | It studies | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Organic chemistry | Compounds of carbon | Fuels, plastics, medicines |
| Inorganic chemistry | Metals, salts, minerals and other non-carbon substances | Cement, glass, fertilisers |
| Physical chemistry | Energy changes and the speed of reactions | Why a fire gives out heat |
| Analytical chemistry | What a sample contains and how much | Testing water for fluoride |
| Biochemistry | The chemistry of living things | How digestion works |
Applications of chemistry
People used chemistry long before the word existed: smelting iron, making pottery, fermenting beer and tanning leather. Today chemists work in industries, hospitals, mines, farms and laboratories.
| Area | How chemistry helps |
|---|---|
| Food and health | Preservatives, vitamins, medicines, clean drinking water |
| Agriculture | Fertilisers, pesticides, soil testing |
| Industry and building | Cement, steel, glass, paint, plastics |
| Energy | Fuels, batteries, biogas, solar cells |
| Environment | Testing and treating water, air and waste |
Chemistry and other subjects
| Subject | Link with chemistry |
|---|---|
| Physics | Both study matter and energy: atoms, electricity, heat |
| Biology | Cells use chemical reactions; enzymes, digestion and photosynthesis are chemistry |
| Agriculture | Soil nutrients, fertilisers and crop protection |
| Geography | Rocks, minerals, weathering and the atmosphere |
| Medicine | Drugs are made and tested by chemists |
| Mathematics | Measuring, calculating amounts and drawing graphs of results |
Try itAir is a mixture of gases
Change the amount of oxygen. Nitrogen fills most of the rest. See how the gases share the air.
Key terms
- Chemistry
- The science that studies matter, its properties and its changes.
- Matter
- Anything that has mass and takes up space.
- Organic chemistry
- The study of carbon compounds.
- Inorganic chemistry
- The study of metals, salts, minerals and other substances that are not carbon compounds.
Summary
- Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes.
- Its main branches are organic, inorganic, physical, analytical and biochemistry.
- Chemistry is linked to physics, biology, agriculture, geography and medicine.
- Chemicals bring benefits and risks, so they must be used safely.