Chemistry is the study of matter—its properties, structure, behaviour and interactions. Chemistry can be described as the quintessential science, the bridge which connects the dozens of fields and subfields within science. You may have heard the term “central science” being used to describe chemistry; after all, it plays an integral role in contextualising and understanding both physics and biology, tying the two natural sciences together.

This doesn’t mean chemistry is a dull subject—it is anything but. Spanning organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and more, chemistry has applications in almost every aspect of our lives, from pharmacology and materials science to forensics and agriculture. Check out our chemistry selection to discover the theories behind every object, substance or device—and how we have harnessed matter to spearhead the progress of industry and society.