1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Chemistry

What Is a Chemical?

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com

Question: What Is a Chemical?
Answer: Short answer: Everything is a chemical. Longer answer: Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter. Anything made of matter is therefore a chemical. Any liquid, solid, gas. Any pure substance; any mixture. Water is a chemical. Technically speaking, so is a chunk of your computer. A chemical can often be broken down into components, as is true with your computer. However, people generally use the term 'chemical' to refer to a substance that appears homogeneous or the same throughout its structure.

Chemistry FAQ Index

Explore Chemistry

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Chemistry
  4. General Chemistry
  5. Chemistry FAQs
  6. What Is a Chemical - Answers to Frequently Asked Chemistry Questions>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.