

Still, physical chemistry provides broad training and positions students to work in a variety of scientific careers, such as: Accordingly, fewer physical chemists are being hired by industry and government labs. The research performed by physical chemists is an increasingly small part of industrial research. Physical chemists who go into management also spend time supervising other scientists, reviewing department needs and goals, and meeting with business managers in their companies. Many who work in the lab say their time is divided between the bench and their desk, where they do calculations and review data. They may also conduct simulations, developing mathematical equations that predict how compounds will react over time. They use mathematical analysis and statistics on huge datasets-sometimes with millions of data points-to reveal hidden information about compounds, materials, and processes. Physical chemists stress the importance of applying math on the job.


Physical chemists discover, test, and strive to understand the physical characteristics of a material (i.e., solid, liquid, or gas). Physical chemistry is a good area for chemists who have a strong curiosity about how things work at the atomic level and enjoy working with lab instrumentation and machines. Their discoveries are based on understanding chemical properties and describing their behavior using theories of physics and mathematical computations. Physical chemists are focused on understanding the physical properties of atoms and molecules, the way chemical reactions work, and what these properties reveal. How matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level.Physical chemistry deals with the principles of physics involved in chemical interactions.
