Branches of Chemistry

There are several branches of chemistry. Here is a list of the main branches
of chemistry, with an overview of what each branch of chemistry studies.
Agrochemistry - This branch of chemistry may also be called agricultural
chemistry. It deals with the application of chemistry for agricultural
production, food processing, and environmental remediation as a result of
agriculture.
Analytical Chemistry - Analytical chemistry is the branch of chemistry
involved with studying the properties of materials or developing tools to
analyze materials.
Astrochemistry - Astrochemistry is the study of the composition and
reactions of the chemical elements and molecules found in the stars and in
space and of the interactions between this matter and radiation.
Biochemistry - Biochemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the
chemical reactions that occur inside living organisms.
Chemical Engineering - Chemical engineering involves the practical
application of chemistry to solve problems.
Chemistry History - Chemistry history is the branch of chemistry and
history that traces the evolution over time of chemistry as a science. To
some extent, alchemy is included as a topic of chemistry history.
Cluster Chemistry - This branch of chemistry involves the study of clusters
of bound atoms, intermediate in size between single molecules and bulk
solids.
Combinatorial Chemistry - Combinatorial chemistry involves computer
simulation of molecules and reactions between molecules.
Electrochemistry - Electrochemistry is the branch of chemistry that
involves the study of chemical reactions in a solution at the interface
between an ionic conductor and an electrical conductor.

Electrochemistry may be considered to be the study of electron transfer,

particularly within an electrolytic solution.
Environmental Chemistry - Environmental chemistry is the chemistry
associated with soil, air, and water and of human impact on natural systems.
Food Chemistry - Food chemistry is the branch of chemistry associated
with the chemical processes of all aspects of food. Many aspects of food
chemistry rely on biochemistry, but it incorporates other disciplines as well.
General Chemistry - General chemistry examines the structure of matter
and the reaction between matter and energy. It is the basis for the other
branches of chemistry.
Geochemistry - Geochemistry is the study of chemical composition and
chemical processes associated with the Earth and other planets.
Green Chemistry - Green chemistry is concerned with processes and
products that eliminate or reduce the use or release of hazardous
substances. Remediation may be considered part of green chemistry.
Inorganic Chemistry - Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that
deals with the structure and interactions between inorganic compounds,
which are any compounds that aren't based in carbon-hydrogen bonds.
Kinetics - Kinetics examines the rate at which chemical reactions occur and
the factors that affect the rate of chemical processes.
Medicinal Chemistry - Medicinal chemistry is chemistry as it applies to
pharmacology and medicine.
Nanochemistry - Nanochemistry is concerned with the assembly and
properties of nanoscale assemblies of atoms or molecules.
Nuclear Chemistry - Nuclear chemistry is the branch of chemistry
associated with nuclear reactions and isotopes.
Organic Chemistry - This branch of chemistry deals with the chemistry of
carbon and living things.
Photochemistry - Photochemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned
with interactions between light and matter.

Physical Chemistry - Physical chemistry is the branch of chemistry that

applies physics to the study of chemistry. Quantum mechanics and
thermodyamics are examples of physical chemistry disciplines.
Polymer Chemistry - Polymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is
the branch of chemistry the examines the structure and properties of
macromolecules and polymers and finds new ways to synthesize these
molecules.
Solid State Chemistry - Solid state chemistry is the branch of chemistry
that is focused on the structure, properties, and chemical processes that
occur in the solid phase. Much of solid state chemistry deals with the
synthesis and characterization of new solid state materials.
Spectroscopy - Spectroscopy examines the interactions between matter
and electromagnetic radiation as a function of wavelength. Spectroscopy
commonly is used to detect and identify chemicals based on their
spectroscopic signatures.
Thermochemistry - Thermochemistry may be considered a type of Physical
Chemistry. Thermochemistry involves the study of thermal effects of
chemical reactions and the thermal energy exchange between processes.
Theoretical Chemistry - Theoretical chemistry applies chemistry and
physics calculations to explain or make predictions about chemical
phenomena.

Brief History of Chemistry

It was not until the era of the ancient Greeks that we have any record of how
people tried to explain the chemical changes they observed and used. At
that time, natural objects were thought to consist of only four basic
elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Then, in the fourth century BC, two
Greek philosophers, Democritus and Leucippus, suggested that matter was
not infinitely divisible into smaller particles but instead consisted of
fundamental, indivisible particles called atoms. Unfortunately, these early
philosophers did not have the technology to test their hypothesis. They
would have been unlikely to do so in any case because the ancient Greeks
did not conduct experiments or use the scientific method. They believed that
the nature of the universe could be discovered by rational thought alone.
Over the next two millennia, alchemists, who engaged in a form of chemistry
and speculative philosophy during the Middle Ages and Renaissance,
achieved many advances in chemistry. Their major goal was to convert
certain elements into others by a process they called transmutation (Figure
1.13 "An Alchemist at Work"). In particular, alchemists wanted to find a way
to transform cheaper metals into gold. Although most alchemists did not
approach chemistry systematically and many appear to have been outright
frauds, alchemists in China, the Arab kingdoms, and medieval Europe made
major contributions, including the discovery of elements such as quicksilver
(mercury) and the preparation of several strong acids.
Figure 1.13 An Alchemist at Work

Alchemy was a form of chemistry that flourished during the Middle Ages and
Renaissance. Although some alchemists were frauds, others made major

contributions, including the discovery of several elements and the

preparation of strong acids.
Modern Chemistry
The 16th and 17th centuries saw the beginnings of what we now recognize
as modern chemistry. During this period, great advances were made
in metallurgy, the extraction of metals from ores, and the first systematic
quantitative experiments were carried out. In 1661, the Englishman Robert
Boyle (162791) published The Sceptical Chymist, which described the
relationship between the pressure and the volume of air. More important,
Boyle defined an element as a substance that cannot be broken down into
two or more simpler substances by chemical means. This led to the
identification of a large number of elements, many of which were metals.
Ironically, Boyle himself never thought that metals were elements.
In the 18th century, the English clergyman Joseph Priestley (17331804)
discovered oxygen gas and found that many carbon-containing materials
burn vigorously in an oxygen atmosphere, a process called combustion.
Priestley also discovered that the gas produced by fermenting beer, which
we now know to be carbon dioxide, is the same as one of the gaseous
products of combustion. Priestleys studies of this gas did not continue as he
would have liked, however. After he fell into a vat of fermenting beer,
brewers prohibited him from working in their factories. Although Priestley did
not understand its identity, he found that carbon dioxide dissolved in water
to produce seltzer water. In essence, he may be considered the founder of
the multibillion-dollar carbonated soft drink industry.

Joseph Priestley (17331804)

Priestley was a political theorist and a leading Unitarian minister. He was

appointed to Warrington Academy in Lancashire, England, where he
developed new courses on history, science, and the arts. During visits to
London, Priestley met the leading men of science, including Benjamin
Franklin, who encouraged Priestleys interest in electricity. Priestleys work on
gases began while he was living next to a brewery in Leeds, where he
noticed fixed air bubbling out of vats of fermenting beer and ale. His
scientific discoveries included the relationship between electricity and
chemical change, 10 new airs, and observations that led to the discovery
of photosynthesis. Due to his support for the principles of the French
Revolution, Priestleys house, library, and laboratory were destroyed by a
mob in 1791. He and his wife emigrated to the United States in 1794 to join
their three sons, who had previously emigrated to Pennsylvania. Priestley
never returned to England and died in his new home in Pennsylvania.
Despite the pioneering studies of Priestley and others, a clear understanding
of combustion remained elusive. In the late 18th century, however, the
French scientist Antoine Lavoisier (174394) showed that combustion is the
reaction of a carbon-containing substance with oxygen to form carbon
dioxide and water and that life depends on a similar reaction, which today
we call respiration. Lavoisier also wrote the first modern chemistry text and
is widely regarded as the father of modern chemistry. His most important
contribution was the law of conservation of mass, which states that in any
chemical reaction, the mass of the substances that react equals the mass of
the products that are formed. That is, in a chemical reaction, mass is neither
lost nor destroyed. Unfortunately, Lavoisier invested in a private corporation
that collected taxes for the Crown, and royal tax collectors were not popular
during the French Revolution. He was executed on the guillotine at age 51,
prematurely terminating his contributions to chemistry.

Importance of Chemistry
Everything is made of chemicals. Many of the changes we observe in the
world around we see that caused by chemical reactions. Chemistry is very
important because it helps us to know the composition, structure and
changes of matter. All the matters are made up of chemistry. In our every
day like various chemical are used in various from, some of those are being
used as food, some of those used clanging etc.
Another importance of chemistry truly allows you to see what is happening
and ultimately discover why many things are actually occurring.