or, to put it another way, "chemistry carried out with the primary object of investigating the workings of nature is what we now call physical chemistry" (Laidler, 5). This has made the distinction between physics and chemistry at this frontier very difficult to define. This fuzzy distinction is also one of the things that makes the discipline of physical chemistry so interesting -- it cannot deny the complete interweaving of scientific disciplines. Physics and chemistry lay out the foundation and explain the mechanisms of all other sciences, and the field of physical chemistry is the closest unification of these two sciences. All biological and astronomical processes only occur because of reactions and interactions at the molecular and atomic level, and physical chemistry attempts to explain these underlying principles (Laidler, 9). Though the nature of energy and matter is still not fully understood, physical chemistry is approaching better and better explanations of the way the universe is constructed.

One of the most interesting disciplines within physical chemistry is the field of quantum mechanics. This is an attempt to explain the way subatomic particles, particularly electrons, move, and was first proposed following the development of quantum chemistry in 1924 (Laidler, 330). Niels Bohr's theory of the atom was in large part responsible for the development of quantum mechanics; the Bohr atomic model was one of the earliest and best explanations of a physical construction of the atomic that explained the various chemical properties noticed in different elements and molecules, including the way atoms...

This makes it one of the foundations of the science of physical chemistry; though it was far from the first attempt at explaining the "why" of many observed chemical and physical phenomenon, it was among the first to be largely successful in its description.
As our knowledge of the smallest particles in our world has increased, our application of them has also taken a huge leap. Computers would not be possible at all without our ability to manipulate very small pieces of mater in understood physical and chemical ways, and the increased power and decreased size of computers is a direct result of increasing advancement working molecule- and even atom-sized conductors and processors. A very recent advancement in the conductivity of so-called brush contacts -- electrical components that conduct a charge from spinning discs by maintaining contact with the spinning surface -- is just one of the exciting new applications that will be improving computer performance in the coming years (Science Daily, par 3, 9). When it comes to explaining our universe and helping us use it better, no field is more exciting than physical chemistry.

Works Cited

Laidler, Keith James. The World of Physical Chemistry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

MolData. "Physical Chemistry." Pomona University Official Website. Accessed 9 March 2009. http://pages.pomona.edu/~wes04747/PChem.htm

Science Daily. "Nanotube Structures Could Improve Electric Motors." March 10, 2009. Accessed 9 March 2009. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310124855.htm