Physical Chemistry explores the principles of chemistry and physics to understand the behavior of matter at a molecular and atomic level.
Quantum chemistry uses physics to explain the weird behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic level. Electrons don’t orbit like planets—they exist in fuzzy clouds called orbitals.
Electrons can jump between energy levels by absorbing or emitting energy (often as light). Each jump releases a specific color, which helps us identify elements.
Spectroscopy uses light to study molecules. By shining light on a sample and measuring what’s absorbed or emitted, we can learn about its structure and composition.
Fireworks display different colors because electrons in metal salts emit specific wavelengths of light.
Doctors use MRI (a type of spectroscopy) to see inside the human body.
Quantum chemistry explains the strange behavior of atoms, and spectroscopy lets us study them using light.