Many people think of chemists as being white-coated scientists mixing strange liquids in a laboratory, but the truth is we are all chemists. Understanding basic chemistry concepts is important for almost every profession. Chemistry is part of everything in our lives.

Every material in existence is made up of matter — even our own bodies. Chemistry is involved in everything we do, from growing and cooking food to cleaning our homes and bodies to launching a space shuttle. Chemists improve many products, from the food we eat and the clothing we wear to the materials with which we build our homes. Chemistry helps to protect our environment and searches for new sources of energy. Chemistry is one of the physical sciences that help us to describe and explain our world.