What is physical chemistry?
Q: What is physical chemistry?
A: Physical chemistry is a branch of science that uses physics to study chemical systems at macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate levels.
Q: How does physical chemistry differ from chemical physics?
A: While both disciplines use physics to study chemical systems, physical chemistry focuses more on macroscopic or supra-molecular science and bulk properties rather than molecular/atomic structure alone.
Q: What are some concepts studied in physical chemistry?
A: Physical chemistry looks at concepts such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and dynamics.
Q: What types of relationships does physical chemistry try to resolve?
A: Physical Chemistry tries to resolve the effects of things such as chemical equilibrium and colloids.
Q: Does physical chemistry focus on molecular/atomic structure?
A: No; while it may look at molecular/atomic structure when necessary for understanding certain phenomena, the majority of its concepts relate to bulk properties rather than individual molecules or atoms.
Q: What type of science is physical chemistry?
A: Physical Chemistry is mostly a macroscopic or supra-molecular science.