| |
Physical chemistry is the branch of chemistry that establishes and develops the principles of the subject. Its concepts are used to explain and interpret observations on the physical and chemical properties of matter. Physical chemistry is also essential for developing and interpreting the modern techniques used to determine the structure and properties of matter, such as new synthetic materials and biological membranes.
Traditionally, there are three principal areas of physical chemistry: thermodynamics (which concerns the energetics of chemical reactions), quantum chemistry (which concerns the structures of molecules), and chemical kinetics (which concerns the rates of chemical reactions).
It is said that there are more than four million chemical compounds. If you add to this list composite materials like alloys and minerals and intermediate species like the free radicals, it becomes truly staggering. The list of properties that interest scientists, even though modest compared to the above list, is also vast. The fascinating aspect of science is that only a few principles are needed to understand the behavior of the huge number of substances and their properties. Physical chemistry is the study of these principles.
Physical Chemistry is a fascinating field of study. It can reasonably be claimed that many parts of physics and all parts of chemistry are included within physical chemistry and its applications. Furthermore, it is the course in which most chemistry students first have the opportunity to synthesize what they have learned in mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses into a coherent pattern of knowledge.
|
|
