Chemistry deals with matter, the changes that take place in matter, and the energies that accompany those changes. Chemists look at matter (through experiments) and think (or theorize) about it at all levels of subdivision, from the submicroscopic world of atoms and molecules to the gram quantities of chemicals in the laboratory to the ton amounts of products in industry.

As a basic material science, chemistry serves as the foundation for many areas of study such as biochemistry, various fields of engineering, paper production, military research, patent law, industrial economics, pharmacy, forensics, medicine and dentistry.