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What is Chemistry?

A Definition of Chemistry

Reference books often define Chemistry as the study of matter, which it is, but this only leads to the next question, "what is matter?".
So, while this definition is accurate, it isn't really very helpful unless you have a good understanding of what "matter" is, and if you did then you wouldn't need to study Chemistry would you?
At AUS-e-TUTE, we think of Chemistry as the study of life, the universe and everything (with apologies to Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy).

Undertaking a Chemistry course is one of the most fascinating and exciting things you can do, not just because everything you are, everything you do, and everything around you relies on chemistry, but because chemistry is the only science that truly endeavours to go out and make entirely new things.

Think about that.

Biologists study living things but, while they can make changes to living things they can't make an entirely new living thing (and even making changes to living things requires chemistry!).
Geologists (or Earth Scientists) study the non-living parts of planets such as minerals and rocks, but they don't make new planets made of new minerals and rocks (and if they did, they'd also be relying on chemistry).
Physics studies forces and energy, but while Physicists can make changes to these they don't make entirely new forces and energies.(1)
So Chemistry is really quite unique among the Sciences. Chemists don't just study what already exists in order to understand it, they actively take what they have learnt and apply it to make entirely new bits of matter, bits of matter that may not even exist in the natural world.(2) And that is what makes chemistry so interesting, so fascinating, and, so exciting.
The study of Chemistry is an adventure!

Let's be a bit more specific.

Living things need gases which they get from the air. Chemists study not just the matter making up the gases in the air, they also study the chemical reactions involving those gases. But have they ever made new gases that don't occur naturally on Earth? You bet they have! The gases chugging around your fridge or air-conditioner, for example, have been made specifically to keep things cool.

You eat in order to get the nutrients your body needs for growth, repair and maintenance. Chemists are interested not just in the bits of matter you consume, but also in the chemical reactions involved in breaking that matter up during digestion, and, in how the body uses and eliminates bits of matter. But have chemists ever made new bits of edible matter? All the time! The chemistry of edible flavours and colours, for example, is hugely important.

When you get sick, you probably take some form of medication. Guess what? Drugs are just bits of matter that Chemists have made!

What about the materials your clothes are made of? Chemists have made entirely new bits of matter, synthetic polymers like polyesters and polyamides, that you are probably wearing in some form right now.

What about your plastic packaging, cards, containers, etc, etc? All the work of Chemists making new bits of matter.

The metals used to make cars, coins, cutlery, etc, etc? Once again, all rely on an understanding of the chemistry of metals, and, how to alloy metals to make new bits of matter.

Chemists have even had a hand in making new minerals, just go to a jeweller's shop and look at the synthetic gemstones, turquoise, and even opals.

And on a more morbid note, even after you, or any other living thing dies, chemistry continues, breaking up the dead thing into smaller bits of matter that can be used again.

Chemistry even works on non-living things, breaking them apart and making new things. You might want to think about that too... every breath you take, every morsel of food, every sip of drink, contains matter that has been chemically treated and recycled.(3)

"Chemistry" is not just extremely important to you in your everyday life, it also encompasses a huge area of scientific interest. For this reason the study of Chemistry is usually broken down into several smaller chunks or areas which are referred to as disciplines.

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Chemistry Disciplines in Schools

The Chemistry disciplines you are likely to meet at school are:

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More Disciplines

But since even these disciplines each cover a huge area, they are further subdivided into smaller disciplines!
Some of these other disciplines are listed alphabetically below:

While this list may seem pretty all-inclusive, it is by no means a complete list of ALL the disciplines in chemistry.
You see, chemistry is continually evolving, branching out into new areas, so the list of chemistry disciplines is also increasing with time.

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A Better Definition of Chemistry?

So, what is chemistry?
Yes, chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions, but because "Chemistry" covers such a huge area of scientific interest perhaps the best definition is that Chemistry is the study of the things that interest a Chemist.

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Footnotes:

(1) Yes, Physicists are involved in making new man-made isotopes, and, yes they play around with unusual states of matter like plasma, but in general the goal of physics is to understand the forces and energies in the universe not to apply that understanding to making a whole new universe.
Note: one of the pioneers in making new man-made elements was Glenn T. Seaborg, who was a Chemist and was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1951 for his discoveries.

(2) Yes, strictly speaking Chemists are taking matter than already exists (atoms) and rearranging it into patterns (molecules and compounds) that may or may not already exist in nature.

(3) There are some terrific popular science books, but Sam Kean's 2017 book "Caesar's Last Breath" published by Black Swan is an interesting look at the molecules in the air, where they come from and how they are recycled.

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