The study of natural and man-made substances in the environment, including the detection, monitoring, transport, and chemical transformation of chemical substances in air, water, and soil. An experiment is direct observation under controlled conditions. The study of materials and chemical reactions in rocks, minerals, magma, seawater, and soil. Compare with theory . A hypothesis is a conjecture designed to guide experimentation.
Hypotheses are extremely useful in problem solving, and are essential in developing new theories.
Compare with dependent variable . An independent variable that can be set to a known value in an experiment. Several independent variables may be controlled in an experiment. For example, in an experiment where the vapor pressure of a liquid is measured at several different temperatures, temperature is the independent variable and vapor pressure is the dependent variable. The study of inorganic compounds , specifically their structure, reactions, catalysis, and mechanism of action.