Chemist
A
chemist is a
scientist trained in the
science of
chemistry. In the British Isles and some Commonwealth countries,
chemist may also refer to a
dispensing chemist, a
pharmacist, or a general retailer of chemicals (usually for medicinal purposes).
Chemists study the composition of matter and its small-scale properties such as
density and
acidity instead of large-scale properties like size and shape. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of
molecules and their component
atoms. Chemists carefully measure substance proportions,
reaction rates, and other
chemical properties. Chemists use this knowledge to learn the composition, structure, chemical reactivity, and properties of unfamiliar substances, as well as to reproduce and synthesize large quantities of useful naturally occurring substances and create new artificial substances and useful processes. Chemists may specialize in any number of
subdisciplines of chemistry.
Materials scientists and metallurgists share much of the same education and skills with chemists.
Jobs for chemists usually require at least a
bachelor's degree, but many positions, especially those in research, require a
Ph.D.. Most undergraduate programs emphasize
mathematics and
physics as well as chemistry, partly because chemistry is also known as "Central Science", thus chemists ought to have an all-rounded knowledge about science. At the
Master's level and higher, students tend to specialize in a particular field. Fields of specialization include
biochemistry,
organic chemistry,
inorganic chemistry,
analytical chemistry,
theoretical chemistry,
quantum chemistry and
physical chemistry. Post-doctorate experience may be required for certain positions.
The three major employers of chemists are academic institutions, industry, especially the
chemical industry and the
pharmaceutical industry, and government laboratories.
Chemistry typically is divided into several major sub-disciplines. There are also several main cross-disciplinary and more specialized fields of chemistry. There is a great deal of overlap between different branches of chemistry, as well as with other scientific fields such as biology, medicine, physics, and several engineering disciplines.
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Analytical chemistry is the analysis of material samples to gain an understanding of their
chemical composition and
structure. Analytical chemistry incorporates standardized experimental methods in chemistry. These methods may be used in all subdisciplines of chemistry, excluding purely theoretical chemistry.
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Biochemistry is the study of the
chemicals,
chemical reactions and chemical
interactions that take place in living
organisms. Biochemistry and organic chemistry are closely related f.e. in
medicinal chemistry.
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A chemist prepares a new fuel cell for testing. |
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Inorganic chemistry is the study of the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. The distinction between organic and inorganic disciplines is not absolute and there is much overlap, most importantly in the sub-discipline of
organometallic chemistry.
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Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, composition, mechanisms, and
reactions of
organic compounds.
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Physical chemistry is the study of the physical fundamental basis of chemical systems and processes. In particular, the energetics and dynamics of such systems and processes are of interest to physical chemists. Important areas of study include
chemical thermodynamics,
chemical kinetics,
electrochemistry,
quantum chemistry,
statistical mechanics, and
spectroscopy. Physical chemistry has large overlap with
theoretical chemistry and
molecular physics. Physical chemistry involves the use of
calculus in deriving equations.
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Theoretical chemistry is the study of chemistry via theoretical reasoning (usually within
mathematics or
physics). In particular the application of
quantum mechanics to chemistry is called
quantum chemistry. Since the end of the second world war, the development of computers has allowed a systematic development of
computational chemistry, which is the art of developing and applying
computer programs for solving chemical problems. Theoretical chemistry has large overlap with
condensed matter physics and
molecular physics.See
Reductionism.
All the above major areas of chemistry employ chemists. Other fields where chemical degrees are useful include
Astrochemistry,
Atmospheric chemistry,
Chemical Engineering,
Chemo-informatics,
Electrochemistry,
Geochemistry,
Green chemistry,
History of chemistry,
Materials science,
Molecular Biology,
Molecular genetics,
Nuclear chemistry,
Organometallic chemistry,
Petrochemistry,
Pharmacology,
Photochemistry,
Phytochemistry,
Polymer chemistry,
Supramolecular chemistry,
Surface chemistry and
nanotechnology.
Main article: History of chemistry
The word
chemist is a
corruption of the
New Latin noun chimista, an
abbreviation of
alchimista (
alchemist).
The roots of chemistry can be traced to the phenomenon of
burning.
Fire was a mystical force that transformed one substance into another and thus was of primary interest to mankind. It was fire that led to the discovery of
iron and
glass. After
gold was discovered and became a precious metal, many people were interested to find a method that could convert other substances into gold. This led to the
protoscience called
Alchemy. Alchemists discovered many chemical
processes that led to the development of modern chemistry. Chemistry as we know it today, was invented by
Antoine Lavoisier with his law of
Conservation of mass in 1783. The
discoveries of the chemical elements has a long history culminating in the creation of the
periodic table by
Dmitri Mendeleyev. The
Nobel Prize in Chemistry created in 1901 gives an excellent overview of chemical discovery in the past 100 years.
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List of chemistry topics*
List of chemists*
List of publications in chemistry*
List of scientific journals in chemistry*
List of Chemistry Societies*
American Chemical Society website
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Chemical Abstracts Service indexes and abstracts the world's chemistry-related literature and patents
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Chemists and Materials Scientists from the U.S. Department of Labor's
Occupational Outlook Handbook*
Royal Society of Chemistry website
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History of Chemistry links for chemists
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Luminaries of the Chemical Sciences accomplishments, biography, and publications from 44 of the most influential chemists
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Occupational Analysis for Chemists*
Selected Classic Papers from the History of Chemistryzh-yue:化學家
