is Chemistry more beneficial to mankind then Physics

[juanrga]

i don't want to start a fight between physicist and chemist on this board, but with your best, as non-bias as you can, answer

 

what is more beneficial to mankind...

 

Chemistry or Physics

 

I studied both, and this sounds to me as who do you love more - mom or dad? Why to choose? Why not both?

 

The main problem with your question is that you do not define what do you exactly mean by "beneficial" and how you score each benefit...

 

There's a famous "jab" physicists say to chemists (and to everyone, really) that Chemistry is just "watered down physics". While it might be an amusing statement of superiority, and it does have elements of truth in it, that doesn't make chemistry less important.

 

And chemists, who also have a sense of humour, have their own collection:

 

If it stinks, it's chemistry. If it doesn't work, it's physics

Physical chemistry is everything that is interesting!

 

And also with elements of truth in them:

 

chemistry contains first principles that are too complex for physicists

The reason why physics can achieve such depth is that it restricts itself to extremely simple things, abstracted from the complexity of the world. As soon as an atom gets too complicated, maybe helium, they hand it over to chemists.

 

Chemistry is just the physics of the outer electrons!

 

Not even close.

Edited November 3, 2012 by juanrga