Education

Chemistry Disciplines - Branches of Chemistry

Learn about the main branches of chemistry, including organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. Chemical Engineering is covered here, too. You'll even find lecture notes and course information for specialized fields, like spectroscopy, geochemistry, and astrochemistry.

Chemistry Subjects
Learn about the different subjects of chemistry, such as organic chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, physical chemistry, and analytical chemistry.

What Are the 5 Branches of Chemistry?
Here is a list of the 5 main branches of chemistry, along with an explanation of what each of the branches studies.

Chemistry Basics - What Is Chemistry
Start learning chemistry with the basics. Learn what chemistry is, what chemists do, and why it's important to study chemistry.

Relationship Among Science, Engineering, and Technology
Science, engineering, and technology are distinct disciplines, yet there is considerable overlap among them.

Famous Chemists
This is an index of famous chemists and other scientists who made important contributions to the field of chemistry, arranged alphabetically according to the scientist's last name.

What Is the Difference Between Organic and Inorganic?
Organic compounds and inorganic compounds form the basis for chemistry. Here is a look at the difference between organic and inorganic compounds, plus examples of each type.

-ology List of Sciences
An -ology is a discipline of study, as indicated by having the -ology suffix. This is a list of science ologies.

Spectroscopy Introduction
Learn what spectroscopy and spectra are, how spectroscopy works, and what it is used for. This article includes a list of several different spectroscopies, with brief descriptions of their characteristics.

Laws of Chemistry
Here's a reference page that describes the major laws of chemistry.

What Is Chemical Engineering? What Do Chemical Engineers Do?
Are you confused about how chemical engineering differs from pure chemistry or other types of engineering? Here's an explanation of what chemical engineering is and what chemical engineers do.

Chemistry Trivia Quiz
Here's a ten question multiple choice quiz to test your understanding of general chemistry concepts. I'd rate it 'easy'. Are you up for the challenge?

Chemistry Trivia Quiz #2
This quiz is designed to trip up a middle school chemistry student. It focuses on everyday chemistry rather than simple textbook facts. Can you get a perfect score?

Alfred B. Nobel Prizes in Chemistry
This is a list of all of the Nobel laureates in Chemistry. The year, winner name(s), country, and research are included. Links to additional information on the laureates and Nobel foundation are also provided.

Amedeo Avogadro
Looking for information about Amedeo Avogadro, Avogadro's Hypothesis, and Avogadro's Number? It's all here, including a picture of Avogadro and links to other Avogadro and History of Chemistry web sites.

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 discipline studies.

Chemistry Glossary
From your About Chemistry guide, this glossary includes terminology from featured articles. Additional chemistry definitions are always being added.

Chemistry of Smoke Machines
Have you ever wondered how smoke machines work or wanted to make your own smoke or fog? Here's your chance to find out how it works. There are separate sections for each type of non-toxic smoke generator, together with important safety tips.

Chromatography with Candy and Coffee Filters
Analyze the dyes used in your favorite candies with paper chromatography using a coffee filter, colored candies, and a salt solution.

Chemistry Timeline
Find out who did what and when they did it. This timeline chronicles achievements in chemistry and in other disciplines (e.g., physics, mathematics) as they apply to chemistry.

Famous Chemists Hangman Game
How well do you know your history? This fun and educational hangman game draws on the names of scientists who made important contributions to the field of chemistry.

Functional Groups - Organic Chemistry Essentials
These are the names and structures of important organic functional groups containing nitrogen or oxygen. Learn 'em, live 'em, love 'em!

Colored Glass Chemistry
Have you ever wondered how glass is colored? Here's a table of common colorants and a description of processes used to color glass.

Experimental Determination of Avogadro's Number
Did you know that Avogadro's number isn't a mathematically derived unit. The number of particles in a mole of a material is determined experimentally. This easy method uses electrochemistry to make the determination.

Crystal Types - Shapes & Structures
Let's take a look at the two main ways to categorize crystal types. I've described the major crystal structures (e.g., triclinic, hexagonal) and how crystals are classified by their properties (e.g., ionic, covalent) and provided links so that you can see examples of crystal types and learn more about crystallography.

Periodic Table of the Elements
Click on an element's symbol to get facts about its discovery, word origin, isotopes, properties, uses, and sources.

Qualitative Analysis - Bead Tests
The borax, microcosmic salt, or sodium carbonate bead test may be used to help identify unknown metals. Learn how to perform and interpret the results of this handy analytical test.

Qualitative Analysis - Flame Tests
The flame test is a quick low-tech method of identifying an element by the color of light it yields in a flame. Learn how to perform this test and to interpret the results.

How To Do Paper Chromatography with Leaves
Most plants contain several pigment molecules, so experiment with different leaves to see the wide range of pigments.

Rock & Mineral Chemistry Quiz
Do you know about the chemistry of rocks and minerals? Here's a ten question quiz you can take to test your knowledge.

Rock Tumbler Instructions
Here are instructions for tumbling rocks using a rotary drum tumbler and a vibratory tumbler, as well as instructions for polishing jewelry in a rock tumbler. Helpful tips are included for improving the polish and troubleshooting problems.

Searching for Extraterrestrial Life
There's some serious chemistry involved in the search for life on other planets (or gas clouds or asteroids or comets). However, other disciplines come into play as well, such as robotics, aeronautics, biology, geology, and economics. Here's an overview of how we search for ETs.

Types of Chemical Reactions
Learn about the different types of chemical reactions and get examples of the reaction types.

Scientific Law, Hypothesis, Theory Definitions
Words have very specific meanings in chemistry and other sciences. Learn about the difference between a scientific law, hypothesis, and theory. Examples are provided for each term.

Types of Inorganic Chemical Reactions
There are four main categories of inorganic chemical reactions. Can you name them all? Here they are, along with examples of each type.

Smoke Bomb Instructions
You can easily make a smoke bomb using inexpensive materials to produce safe smoke.

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