This Site is ICRA and SafeSurf For All Ages! Descriptions of the
Fields of Science Chemistry is the science of matter at or near
the atomic scale. (Matter is the substance of which all physical
objects are made.) Chemistry deals with the properties of
matter, and the transformation and interactions of matter and
energy. Central to chemistry is the interaction of one substance
with another, such as in a chemical reaction, where a substance
or substances are transformed into another. Chemistry primarily
studies atoms and collections of atoms such as molecules,
crystals or metals that make up ordinary matter. According to
modern chemistry it is the structure of matter at the atomic
scale that determines the nature of a material. Chemistry has
many specialized areas that overlap with other sciences, such as
physics, biology or geology. Scientists who study chemistry are
called chemists. Historically, the science of chemistry is a
recent development but has its roots in alchemy which has been
practiced for millenn