Why does chemist study the structure of matter

Physical chemistry is the study of the physical properties of chemicals. Biophysical chemistry is the application of physical chemistry in a biological context. The scientific method is a process by which observations are questioned; hypotheses are created and tested; and the results are analyzed. Discuss hypotheses and the components of a scientific experiment as part of the scientific method.

Biologists study the living world by posing questions about it and seeking science -based responses. This approach is common to other sciences as well and is often referred to as the scientific method. The scientific method can be applied to almost all fields of study as a logical, rational, problem-solving method. Sir Francis Bacon : Sir Francis Bacon — is credited with being the first to define the scientific method. The scientific process typically starts with an observation often a problem to be solved that leads to a question.

A teenager notices that his friend is really tall and wonders why. The Scientific Method : The scientific method consists of a series of well-defined steps. If a hypothesis is not supported by experimental data, a new hypothesis can be proposed. Recall that a hypothesis is an educated guess that can be tested.

Hypotheses often also include an explanation for the educated guess. To solve one problem, several hypotheses may be proposed.

For example, the student might believe that his friend is tall because he drinks a lot of milk. Once a hypothesis has been selected, the student can make a prediction.

A prediction is similar to a hypothesis but it is truly a guess. For instance, they might predict that their friend is tall because he drinks a lot of milk. A valid hypothesis must be testable. It should also be falsifiable, meaning that it can be disproven by experimental results. This step—openness to disproving ideas—is what distinguishes sciences from non-sciences. The presence of the supernatural, for instance, is neither testable nor falsifiable. To test a hypothesis, a researcher will conduct one or more experiments designed to eliminate one or more of the hypotheses.

Each experiment will have one or more variables and one or more controls. A variable is any part of the experiment that can vary or change during the experiment. An important area of chemistry is the understanding of atoms and what determines how they react.

It turns out reactivity is often largely mediated by the electrons that orbit atoms and the way these are exchanged and shared to create chemical bonds. Chemistry has now split into many branches. For instance, analytical chemists might measure the traces of compounds in ancient pottery to discern what people were eating thousands of years ago.

Organic chemistry, the study of compounds which contain carbon, connects up molecules in new ways to build and analyse an array of materials, from drugs to plastics to flexible electronics. Inorganic chemistry is the study of materials based primarily on elements other than carbon. Inorganic compounds can be pigments, fertilisers , catalysts and more. Chemists work in a variety of fields, including research and development, quality control, manufacturing, environmental protection, consulting and law.

They can work at universities, for the government or in private industry, according to the ACS. In academia, chemists performing research aim to further knowledge about a particular topic, and may not necessarily have a specific application in mind. Their results, however, can still be applied to relevant products and applications. In industry, chemists in research and development use scientific knowledge to develop or improve a specific product or process.

For example, food chemists improve the quality, safety, storage and taste of food; pharmaceutical chemists develop and analyze the quality of drugs and other medical formulations; and agricultural chemists develop fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides necessary for large-scale crop production.

Sometimes, research and development may not involve bettering the product itself, but rather the manufacturing process involved in making that product.

Environmental chemists study how chemicals interact with the natural environment, characterizing the chemicals and chemical reactions present in natural processes in the soil, water and air.

For example, scientists can collect soil, water or air from a place of interest and analyze it in a laboratory to determine if human activities have contaminated, or will contaminate, the environment or affect it in other ways. Some environmental chemists can also help remediate, or remove contaminants, from the soil, according to the U. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Related: Pesticide residue linked to lower fertility in women.

Scientists with a background in environmental chemistry can also work as consultants for various organizations, such as chemical companies or consulting firms, providing guidance on how practices and procedures can be completed in accordance with environmental regulations.

Chemists can use their academic background to provide advice on or advocate for scientific issues. For instance, chemists may work in intellectual property, where they might apply their scientific background to copyright issues in the sciences, or in environmental law, where they may represent special interest groups and file for approval from regulating agencies before certain activities occur.

Chemists can also perform analyses that help law enforcement. Forensic chemists capture and analyze the physical evidence left behind at a crime scene to help determine the identities of the people involved, as well as to answer other vital questions regarding how and why the crime was carried out.

Forensic chemists use a wide variety of analysis methods, such as chromatography and spectrometry, which help identify and quantify chemicals. Live Science. Jump to: Chemistry basics The physical science Five branches of chemistry Role of chemists Additional resources.

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