Introduction to Chemistry

• Chemistry - the branch of science that studies matter and its composition, properties, and changes
• Matter - anything that occupies space and has mass
• 5 Main Branches of Chemistry:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Nuclear Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry - the study of carbon-containing compounds in both living and non-living things
• Inorganic Chemistry - the study of everything except carbon-based compounds
• Biochemistry - the study of chemical processes that happen inside living organisms
• Physical Chemistry - the study of chemical systems as they apply to physics concepts
• Nuclear Chemistry - the study of chemical changes inside the nucleus of an atom
• Atom - the smallest unit of matter