Chemistry is the science of the materials that make up our physical world. No one person could expect to master all aspects of such a vast field, so it has been found convenient to divide the subject into smaller areas. Atoms of this element can form stable chains and rings, giving rise to very large numbers of natural and synthetic compounds. Biochemists concern themselves with the chemistry of the living world. Inorganic chemists are interested in all elements, but particularly in metals, and are often involved in the preparation of new catalysts.
Physical chemists study the structures of materials, and rates and energies of chemical reactions.
Theoretical chemists with the use of mathematics and computational techniques derive unifying concepts to explain chemical behavior. Analytical chemists develop test procedures to determine the identity, composition and purity of chemicals and materials. New analytical procedures often discover the presence of previously unknown compounds. One of the main functions of the chemist is to rearrange the atoms of known substances to produce new products. For example, chemists have developed previously unknown synthetic fibres such as Kevlar, which has desirable qualitites not found in natural fibres.