Chemistry

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For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation).

Chemicals in flasks (including ammonium hydroxide and nitric acid) lit in different colors

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Chemistry, a branch of physical science, is the study of the composition, properties and behavior of matter.^[1][2] Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds. Chemistry is also concerned with the interactions between atoms (or groups of atoms) and various forms of energy (e.g. photochemical reactions, changes in phases of matter, separation of mixtures, properties of polymers, etc.).
Chemistry is sometimes called "the central science" because it connects physics with other natural sciences such as geology and biology.^[3][4] Chemistry is a branch of physical science but distinct from physics.^[5]
The etymology of the word chemistry has been much disputed.^[6] The genesis of chemistry can be traced to certain practices, known as alchemy, which had been practiced for several millennia in various parts of the world, particularly the Middle East.^[7]

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Principles of modern chemistry 3.1 Matter 3.1.1 Atom 3.1.2 Element 3.1.3 Compound 3.1.4 Substance 3.1.5 Molecule 3.1.6 Mole and amount of substance 3.2 Properties 3.2.1 Ions and salts 3.2.2 Acidity and basicity 3.2.3 Phase 3.2.4 Bonding 3.3 Reaction 3.3.1 Redox 3.3.2 Equilibrium 3.3.3 Energy 3.4 Chemical laws 4 Practice 4.1 Subdisciplines 4.2 Chemical industry 4.3 Professional societies 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading