Physical science can be broken down into five main sub-divisions: Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology and Meteorology. All of these branches have one thing in common to show they belong to the physical science field of study: They are all focused on non-living things. Now that we know the names of these five areas, we can begin to look at what they involve and how they are applied in more depth.
The first of these five branches is physics, which relates to the basic principles of matter and energy - including the study of forces and atomic structures. Similarly, chemistry refers to matter, but focuses more on how different elements can be classified into groups - as shown in the periodic table - based on shared properties and similar traits in terms of reactivity and chemical composition.
Astronomy is the study of the Universe in general, including that of the solar system and the matter contained within it. The ideas of space and time are often explored in this branch of physical science, and telescopes may be used to assist research and view the various stars and planets that the Universe contains.
The penultimate field of physical science is geology: The study of the Earth and the materials it's made from. Professionals in this area of research are referred to as geologists, and essentially have to study rocks, minerals and other natural matter as part of their work.
Finally, there's meteorology, which is simply the study of the atmosphere. This branch of physical science covers everything between the Earth's surface and the edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Meteorologists may be assigned to study specific layers of the Earth's atmosphere - for example, the tropospheric layer - or may be asked to look at the atmosphere from a more general point of view.
The first of these five branches is physics, which relates to the basic principles of matter and energy - including the study of forces and atomic structures. Similarly, chemistry refers to matter, but focuses more on how different elements can be classified into groups - as shown in the periodic table - based on shared properties and similar traits in terms of reactivity and chemical composition.
Astronomy is the study of the Universe in general, including that of the solar system and the matter contained within it. The ideas of space and time are often explored in this branch of physical science, and telescopes may be used to assist research and view the various stars and planets that the Universe contains.
The penultimate field of physical science is geology: The study of the Earth and the materials it's made from. Professionals in this area of research are referred to as geologists, and essentially have to study rocks, minerals and other natural matter as part of their work.
Finally, there's meteorology, which is simply the study of the atmosphere. This branch of physical science covers everything between the Earth's surface and the edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Meteorologists may be assigned to study specific layers of the Earth's atmosphere - for example, the tropospheric layer - or may be asked to look at the atmosphere from a more general point of view.
