What Is The Five Principle Branches Of Chemistry?

The five principle branches of chemistry are:

• Organic chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Physical chemistry

Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with carbon compounds. It studies the structure and the properties of all carbon compounds. The compounds are diverse and are vital in the production of a number of products including drugs, plastic, food and paint. This is the most important branch of chemistry as it forms the basis of anything that is living.
Inorganic chemistry is the study of anything that is inorganic. This branch looks at the behavior and the properties of inorganic materials, and in some cases this overlaps with the study of organic chemistry if carbon is present in any of these compounds.

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that are present in all living organisms. The cellular components of, amongst other things, protein, carbohydrates and lipids are studied under the umbrella of biochemistry. The emergence of biochemistry over the last 50 years has meant that many living processes are involved in some sort of biochemical research. The research done to date explains living processes in far more detail than was previously possible.
Analytical chemistry is the analysis that takes place when looking at the components of both natural and artificial materials, and the study of what separates them and identifies them. This chemistry can be divided into 2 distinct categories:

• Classical methods using wet methods of separation
• Instrumental methods which use apparatus to separate the materials

Physical chemistry involves the study of physical laws and concepts such as motion, energy, time and quantum chemistry. This branch of chemistry looks at the effects of intermolecular forces on materials, and the rates of reactions. Physical chemistry is classed as a macroscopic science, as the majority of the subjects studied are concepts.