Chemistry vs Chemical Engineering
Chemistry and chemical engineering are two important science and engineering subjects respectively. While chemistry is the basic subject providing in depth knowledge of matter, energy, and the reactions between various substances, chemical engineering applies all the knowledge gained through chemistry into making materials that are useful and more efficient for the mankind. It can be considered as applied chemistry but then we do have a separate stream called applied chemistry which is why the difference between chemistry and chemical engineering is all the more confusing for people. This article will highlight these differences for the readers.
It is through chemistry that we get all the understanding about various substances and how they behave in particular condition and also their interactions with other substances. It is the job of chemical engineers to make the best use of the inter reactions between substances and to make products and materials that are useful for us. The knowledge gained through study of chemistry is used heavily in chemical engineering while combining the principles of math and physics to design and manufacture products that are not only safer, but also make the work easier. In general, chemical engineering is of great help in diverse areas such as designing, research and development, safety, environmental safety, and waste management.
Though chemistry and the knowledge derived through study of materials and their properties is at the core of chemical engineering, chemical engineering is more focused on solving practical problems and designing useful and more efficient products keeping in mind the safety of human beings. Chemical engineering is an amalgamation of principles of chemistry with other branches of science such as physics and math to come up with designs that work in real life increasing efficiency and productivity. As against common perception, chemical engineers do not spend their time studying basic properties of materials. They rather focus on making useful products from raw materials in the most cost effective and safe manner.
While a chemist is more interested in understanding the basic processes involved in a chemical reaction, a chemical engineer is more interested in getting the most out of a reaction as his job is to make the world safer and better through new processes and materials. So chemical engineering is an application of chemistry utilizing other branches of science. A chemist is more likely to be employed in research labs where new drugs are made whereas a chemical engineer is more versatile getting employment in all sorts of governmental and private industries.
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In brief: Chemistry vs Chemical Engineering • Though there is considerable overlapping as both make use of chemical properties of substances, a chemist is seen more in science labs with test tubes in hands while a chemical engineer is seen designing new materials that are more useful for us. • Chemistry provides in depth knowledge of chemical properties of substances and their reactions with other substances. On the other hand, a chemical engineer makes use of this knowledge to come up with new designs and products that are more useful for us. • Chemistry provides input where chemical engineering makes use of this input to work for new and better products.
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