What kinds of experiments do applied-chemistry students do at university?
In applied chemistry, students usually carry out experiments on synthesizing materials, analyzing substances, and measuring their properties, in addition to foundational chemistry laboratory work. Experiments may cover organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and materials chemistry. Students also practice safe handling of reagents, instrumental analysis, data processing, interpretation of results, and scientific report writing. Depending on the program, they may also study biological, environmental, or chemical-process topics and conduct a laboratory-based graduation research project.
Key points
- Experiments generally involve making substances, identifying or analyzing them, and measuring their properties.
- Laboratory training also includes reagent safety, scientific instruments, data analysis, and report writing.
- Later work may include materials, environmental, biological, or process-related experiments and graduation research.
Things to check
- The subjects, content, timing, and format of laboratory classes and graduation research vary by university, faculty, and program, so check the prospective institution’s official curriculum.