Have you ever wondered how the universe began? Why life is sustained on earth? Or even what factors control the formation of clouds on a sunny day? If you choose to explore any scientific subject, you will find that you are not alone in your curiousity. For thousands of years human beings have sougth to understand the complex, alternative sources of energy, and the novel cures for disease. The study of chemistry is central to each of these endeavors and accordingly is strongly tied to our ability to perceive that our physical environment undergo.
Historically, chemists have sought to understand these changes in terms of the microscopic building blocks that comprise the physical world. This microscopic description has evolved over thousands of years through the development of scientific theories from experimentation, measurement, and the scientific method. As our ability to perceive the microscopic nature of matter expands, so too is our knowledge of the mysteries of the universe likely to rapidly grow.
