The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to natural science:
Natural science – a major branch of science that tries to explain, and predict, nature's phenomena based on empirical evidence. In natural science, hypothesis must be verified scientifically to be regarded as scientific theory. Validity, accuracy, and social mechanisms ensuring quality control, such as peer review and repeatability of findings, are amongst the criteria and methods used for this purpose. Natural science can be broken into 2 main branches: life science, and physical science. Each of these branches, and all of their sub-branches, are referred to as natural sciences.
Overview
Natural science can be described as all of the following:
Branch of science – systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe."... modern science is a discovery as well as an invention. It was a discovery that nature generally acts regularly enough to be described by laws and even by mathematics; and required invention to devise the techniques, abstractions, apparatus, and organization for exhibiting the regularities and securing their law-like descriptions." —p.vii, J. L. Heilbron, (2003, editor-in-chief). The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science. New York: Oxford University Press. . Major category of academic disciplines – an academic discipline is focused study in one academic field or profession. A discipline incorporates expertise, people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research areas that are strongly associated with academic areas of study or areas of professional practice. For example, the branches of science are commonly referred to as the scientific disciplines. For instance, Gravitation is strongly associated with the discipline of physics, and is considered to be part of that disciplinary knowledge.
Branches of natural science
Physical science
Physical science – branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to the biological sciences. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences". However, the term "physical" creates an unintended, somewhat arbitrary distinction, since many branches of physical science also study biological phenomena (organic chemistry, for example).
Astronomy Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation). Astrobiology – study of evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe—also known as exobiology, exopaleontology, and bioastronomy. Astrodynamics – application of ballistics and celestial mechanics to the practical problems concerning the motion of rockets and other spacecraft. Astrophysics – study of the physical aspects of celestial objects. Astrometry – branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestially bodies. Cosmology – discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Extragalactic astronomy – branch of astronomy concerned with objects outside our own Milky Way Galaxy. Galactic astronomy – study of our own Milky Way galaxy and all its contents. Heliophysics – study of the Sun and its interactions with the Solar System. Physical cosmology – study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution. Planetary science – scientific study of planets (including Earth), moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. Stellar astronomy – natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as cosmic background radiation). Time-domain astronomy – study of astronomical objects that change within an observable timescale (i.e seconds to years).
Physics Physics – physical science that studies matter and its motion through space-time, and related concepts such as energy and force. Acoustics – study of mechanical waves in solids, liquids, and gases (such as vibration and sound) Agrophysics – study of physics applied to agroecosystems Soil physics – study of soil physical properties and processes. Atmospheric physics – study of the application of physics to the atmosphere Atomic, molecular, and optical physics – study of how matter and light interact Biophysics – study of physical processes relating to biology Medical physics – application of physics concepts, theories and methods to medicine. Neurophysics – branch of biophysics dealing with the nervous system. Chemical physics – branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics. Computational physics – study and implementation of numerical algorithms to solve problems in physics for which a quantitative theory already exists. Condensed matter physics – study of the physical properties of condensed phases of matter. Cryogenics – cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature (below −150 °C, −238 °F or 123K) and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. Dynamics – study of the causes of motion and changes in motion Econophysics – interdisciplinary research field, applying theories and methods originally developed by physicists in order to solve problems in economics Electromagnetism – branch of science concerned with the forces that occur between electrically charged particles. Geophysics – the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods Materials physics – use of physics to describe materials in many different ways such as force, heat, light and mechanics. Mathematical physics – application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods for such applications and for the formulation of physical theories. Mechanics – branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment. Biomechanics – study of the structure and function of biological systems such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells by means of the methods of mechanics. Classical mechanics – one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces. Continuum mechanics – branch of mechanics that deals with the analysis of the kinematics and the mechanical behavior of materials modeled as a continuous mass rather than as discrete particles. Fluid mechanics – study of fluids and the forces on them. Quantum mechanics – branch of physics dealing with physical phenomena where the action is on the order of the Planck constant. Thermodynamics – branch of physical science concerned with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work. Nuclear physics – field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. Optics – branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Particle physics – branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. Psychophysics – quantitatively investigates the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they affect. Plasma physics – state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Polymer physics – field of physics that studies polymers, their fluctuations, mechanical properties, as well as the kinetics of reactions involving degradation and polymerisation of polymers and monomers respectively. Quantum physics – branch of physics dealing with physical phenomena where the action is on the order of the Planck constant. Relativity – branch of physics dealing with the mechanics of objects that approach the speed of light. Statics – branch of mechanics concerned with the analysis of loads (force, torque/moment) on physical systems in static equilibrium, that is, in a state where the relative positions of subsystems do not vary over time, or where components and structures are at a constant velocity. Solid state physics – study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. Vehicle dynamics – dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles.
Chemistry Chemistry – physical science of atomic matter (matter that is composed of chemical elements), especially its chemical reactions, but also including its properties, structure, composition, behavior, and changes as they relate the chemical reactions Analytical chemistry – study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials. Astrochemistry – study of the abundance and reactions of chemical elements and molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation. Cosmochemistry – study of the chemical composition of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions Atmospheric chemistry – branch of atmospheric science in which the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary field of research and draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modeling, oceanography, geology and volcanology and other disciplines Biochemistry – study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes. Agrochemistry – study of both chemistry and biochemistry which are important in agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and in environmental monitoring and remediation. Bioinorganic chemistry – examines the role of metals in biology. Bioorganic chemistry – rapidly growing scientific discipline that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry. Biophysical chemistry – new branch of chemistry that covers a broad spectrum of research activities involving biological systems. Environmental chemistry – scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. Immunochemistry – branch of chemistry that involves the study of the reactions and components on the immune system. Medicinal chemistry – discipline at the intersection of chemistry, especially synthetic organic chemistry, and pharmacology and various other biological specialties, where they are involved with design, chemical synthesis and development for market of pharmaceutical agents (drugs). Pharmacology – branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. Toxicology – branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. Natural product chemistry – chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism – found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design. Neurochemistry – specific study of neurochemicals, which include neurotransmitters and other molecules such as neuro-active drugs that influence neuron function. Computational chemistry – branch of chemistry that uses principles of computer science to assist in solving chemical problems.