List of basic chemistry topics

For a more comprehensive list, see the List of chemistry topics.

Chemistry is the science of matter at the atomic to molecular scale, dealing primarily with collections of atoms, such as molecules, crystals, and metals. Chemistry deals with the composition and statistical properties of such structures, as well as their transformations and interactions to become materials encountered in everyday life. Chemistry also deals with understanding the properties and interactions of individual atoms with the purpose of applying that knowledge at the macroscopic level. According to modern chemistry, the physical properties of materials are generally determined by their structure at the atomic scale, which is itself defined by interatomic forces.

The following list of topics is provided as an overview of and introduction to chemistry:

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Sensitivity Test

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

What is the Sensitivity of my Balance?

Essence of chemistry

Main article: Chemistry

• Chemical compound
• Chemical formula
• Chemical reaction
• Chemical substance

Branches of chemistry

History of chemistry

Main article: History of chemistry

• 1661 - The Sceptical Chymist, by Robert Boyle. Chemistry is born, by being defined distinct from alchemy.

Basic chemistry concepts

Standard periodic table of the chemical elements

This common arrangement of the periodic table separates the lanthanides and actinides from other elements. The Wide Periodic Table incorporates the f-block; the Extended Periodic Table incorporates the f-block and adds the theoretical g-block.

Concepts, by subject area

• Apparatus : Bunsen burner -- Calorimeter -- Colorimeter -- Burette -- Thermometer
• Atomic structure : Atom -- Ion -- Electron -- Proton -- Neutron -- Atomic orbital -- Molecular orbital -- Chemical element -- Valence -- Atomic nucleus -- Isotope
• Bonding : Chemical bond -- Ionic bond -- Covalent bond -- Metallic bond -- Hydrogen bond -- Intermolecular force -- Dipole
• Chemical reaction -- Chemical formula -- Structural formula -- Mole -- Stoichiometry -- Chemical nomenclature -- Chemical equilibrium -- Reversible reaction -- Electrophile -- Nucleophile -- Redox
• Chemical techniques : Titration -- Distillation -- Chromatography -- Reflux -- Buffer solution -- Filtration -- Hydrolysis -- Condensation reaction
• Important Chemical substances: Matter -- Water -- Ammonia -- Benzene -- Phenol
• Mixtures and Solutions: Concentration -- Vapour pressure -- Raoult's law -- Partial pressure -- solvation
• Periodic table : Periodicity -- Group 1 elements -- Group 2 elements -- Transition metal -- Group 5 elements -- Group 6 elements -- Halogen -- Noble gas -- s block -- d block -- p block -- f block
• Properties : pH -- electronegativity
• Structure : Gas -- Liquid -- Molecule -- Solid -- Isomer -- Allotropy -- Crystal -- Complex (chemistry) -- Ligand -- Chemical compound -- Stereochemistry

Concepts by branch of chemistry

• Analytical chemistry :
  • Electrochemistry : Electrochemical cell -- Oxidation -- Reduction -- Electrode potential -- Oxidation number -- Electrolysis -- Electrolytic cell -- Electrolyte -- Nernst equation
  • Spectroscopy : atomic absorption spectroscopy -- Auger electron spectroscopy -- electromagnetic spectroscopy -- fluorescence spectroscopy -- infrared spectroscopy -- mass spectrometer -- Mossbauer spectroscopy -- nuclear magnetic resonance -- neutron activation analysis -- Raman spectroscopy -- UV/Vis spectrophotometry -- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy --
• Inorganic chemistry : Alkali -- Acid -- Base -- Metals -- Non metals -- Salt -- pH

• • Solid state chemistry
• Organic chemistry : Functional group -- Hydrocarbon -- Alkane -- Alkene -- Halogenoalkane - Alcohol -- Ether -- Aldehyde -- Ketone - Carboxylic acid -- Ester -- Alicyclic compound -- Amine -- Amide -- Amino acid -- Polymer -- Polymerization -- Organic nomenclature -- Arene -- Phenol -- Peptide
  • Stereochemistry : Optical isomerism -- Chirality
• Physical chemistry :
  • Kinetics: Catalyst -- Enzyme -- Arrhenius equation
  • Thermochemistry : Enthalpy -- Activation energy -- Entropy
  • Computational chemistry : Molecular modeling -- Molecular dynamics -- Molecular mechanics -- Quantum methods -- Combinatorial chemistry -- Cheminformatics -- Bioinformatics
  • Quantum chemistry : Slater determinant - Self-consistent field -- Hartree-Fock -- Moller-Plesset - Electron correlation - Semiempirical methods
• Biochemistry : Protein -- Carbohydrate -- Fat -- Nucleic Acid

Some famous chemists

For more chemists, see: Nobel Prize in Chemistry and List of chemists

Chemistry lists

Main article: List of chemistry topics

See also

• List of basic phyiscs topics