Physical Chemistry
Physical chemistry is concerned with investigating chemical problems using physical methods. This definition was often not understood is just as common.
It is often in contrast to the other branches of chemistry, such as organic, inorganic or biochemistry. This is because in these fields usually "wet chemistry" operated, so worked with most aqueous solutions, where water is of course not the only solution to this medium. This procedure is typically referred to as chemically.
The physical chemistry is used, then, as I said, the methods are based on physical principles. These include, for example, include the examination of materials by electromagnetic radiation, magnetic and electric fields.
It takes often a assistant role. The spectroscopy, for example, is actually a domain of physical chemistry dar. Yet it is in organic chemistry as intensively used for structural analysis of substances that now there are whole dictionaries of materials for this purpose, so-called spectral databases. The plans prepared by the physical laws and chemical models are widely used in other scientific areas outside of chemistry, for purposes of explanation.
In teaching, it is indispensable at an early stage and many universities offer opportunities to specialize in this aspect.
Subdivisions of Physical Chemistry
The physical chemistry can be divided into several sub-regions, this of course does not cover the full range of possibilities of the subject. This division is also often made to universities to lecture outline. Here, however, are now two schools of thought differ on how the subject was to learn best. Both adhere to the advantages and disadvantages. The first approach starts from the molecular structure of matter and explained below, the observed in the chemical processes. Exactly the opposite takes the phenomenological approach. On the basis of experiments and knowledge gained during these laws and rules are developed. Starting from the macroscopic to the subject is taught to the atomic scale.
The various stations are the same: The thermodynamics deals with the energy content of materials, especially gases, and derives from the stability of reacting substances and systems. The kinetics describes the rate of reactions and their precise sequence. The theoretical chemistry, quantum chemistry and are mostly mechanics, summarized the statistical thermodynamics and related issues. The electrochemistry and spectroscopy to the already mentioned is also part of physical chemistry. Many other, smaller in scope areas also exist, but can be assigned mostly to those already mentioned.