Physics in the Crucible of Chemistry

Conclusion

Well-established concepts in one area of science often find natural applications in other areas of science. In this regard, physics plays a pivotal role. Investigations in physics focus, for the most part, on systems with small number of actual or reduced variables and lead to firmly established concepts and fundamental laws. It is thus natural for chemistry to look into physics for guidance as it explores the unknown territories. The main thesis of the article is that physical laws are about limitations. While they set the boundaries within which chemical mechanisms must fall, they cannot dictate the actual mechanisms. Thus, chemistry has to be viewed as both dependent and independent of physics. The relation between physics and other areas of scientific inquiry is likely to follow the pattern described here: within the possibilities allowed by physics, scientists have to look for explanations that depend on factors outside physics.