Chemical physics is a subdiscipline of physics that investigates physicochemical phenomena using techniques from atomic and molecular physics and condensed matter physics; it is the branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics. While at the interface of physics and chemistry, chemical physics is distinct from physical chemistry in that it focuses more on the characteristic elements and theories of physics. However, workers can be practicing in each field during the course of their research careers. Meanwhile, physical chemistry studies the physical nature of chemistry. The distinction between the two fields, nonetheless, is vague. Since antiquity, people have tried to understand the behavior of matter: why unsupported objects drop to the ground, why different materials have different properties, and so forth. ... Atomic, molecular, and optical physics is the study of matter-matter and light-matter interactions on the scale of single atoms or structures containing a few atoms. ... Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic physical properties of matter. ... Since antiquity, people have tried to understand the behavior of matter: why unsupported objects drop to the ground, why different materials have different properties, and so forth. ... // Introduction Chemistry is a large field encompassing many subdisciplines that often overlap with significant portions of other sciences. ... Physical Chemistry is the combined science of physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics which functions to provide molecular-level interpretations of observed macroscopic phenomena. ...

Chemical physicists commonly probe the structure and dynamics of ions, free radicals, polymers, clusters, and molecules; seek to understand the quantum mechanical behavior of chemical reactions; study the process of solvation; and investigate single entities such as quantum dots. Experimental chemical physicists use a variety of spectroscopic techniques to better understand hydrogen bonding, electron transfer, the formation and dissolution of chemical bonds, chemical reactions, and the formation of nanoparticles. Theoretical chemical physicists create simulations of the molecular processes probed in these experiments to both explain results and guide future investigations. The goals of chemical physics research include understanding chemical structures and reactions at the quantum mechanical level, elucidating the structure and reactivity of gas phase ions, and discovering new approaches to explaining chemical physics. Chemical physicists are looking for answers to such questions as: The word dynamics can refer to: a branch of mechanics; see dynamics (mechanics) the volume of music; see dynamics (music) DYNAMIC+ This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... ... In chemistry free radicals are uncharged atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons or an otherwise open shell configuration. ... A polymer is a long, repeating chain of atoms, formed through the linkage of many molecules called monomers. ... In chemistry, a cluster is a polycyclic array of atoms that is intermediate in character between a molecule and a solid. ... A molecule is the smallest particle of a pure chemical substance that still retains its chemical composition and properties. ... Fig. ... A chemical reaction is a process involving one, two, or more substances, such as compounds or atoms. ... Solvation is the attraction and association of molecules of a solvent with molecules or ions of a solute. ... A quantum dot is a potential well that confines electrons in three dimensions to a region of the order of the electrons de Broglie wavelength in size, a few nanometers in a semiconductor. ... Spectroscopy is the study of spectra, ie. ... In chemistry, a hydrogen bond is a type of attractive intermolecular force that exists between two partial electric charges of opposite polarity. ... Electron transfer is the process by which an electron moves from one atom or molecule to another atom or molecule. ... In chemistry, a chemical bond is the force which holds together atoms in molecules or crystals. ... Description A nanoparticle is a microscopic particle whose size is measured in nanometres. ... A gas is one of the four main phases of matter (after solid and liquid, and followed by plasma), that subsequently appear as a solid material that is subjected to increasingly higher temperatures. ... In physics, a phase transition is the transformation of a thermodynamic system from one phase to another. ...

• Can we experimentally test quantum mechanical predictions of the vibrations and rotations of simple molecules?
• Can we develop more accurate methods for calculating the electronic structure and properties of molecules?
• Can we understand chemical reactions from first principles?
• Why do quantum dots start blinking (in a pattern suggesting fractal kinetics) after absorbing photons of light?
• How do chemical reactions really take place?
• What is the step-by-step process that occurs when an isolated molecule becomes solvated?
• Can we use the properties of negative ions to determine molecular structures, understand the dynamics of chemical reactions, or explain photodissociation?
• Why does a stream of soft x-rays knock enough electrons out of the atoms in a xenon cluster to cause the cluster to explode?

The Mandelbrot set, named after its discoverer, is a famous example of a fractal. ... Kinetics refers to two different areas of science: Chemical kinetics studies reaction rates. ... In physics, the photon (from Greek φοτος, meaning light) is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, for instance light. ... Prism splitting light Light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength that is visible to the eye (visible light) or, in a technical or scientific setting, electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength. ... Photodissociation is the breakup of molecules caused by exposure to photons. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... Properties The electron is a fundamental subatomic particle which carries a negative electric charge. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... General Name, Symbol, Number xenon, Xe, 54 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 5, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 131. ...

Related fields

• Molecular dynamics
• Quantum chemistry
• Solid state physics
• Spectroscopy
• Surface chemistry