Branches of science facts for kids

The branches of science are like different departments or areas of study within the big world of science. They help us understand everything around us, from tiny atoms to giant galaxies, and even how people behave. Scientists usually group these branches into three main types:

• Formal sciences: These sciences study ideas and rules, like in logic and mathematics. They use thinking and reasoning to figure things out, rather than experiments.
• Natural sciences: These sciences explore the natural world. This includes everything from space and Earth to living things like plants and animals.
• Social sciences: These sciences focus on people and how they act in groups and societies.

For something to be considered "scientific knowledge," it usually needs to be based on things we can observe and test. Other scientists should be able to check the findings themselves. These different branches often work together, and some areas of science, like engineering and medicine, use knowledge from many different branches to solve real-world problems.

Formal Sciences: The Rules of Thinking

Formal sciences are about systems of rules and ideas. Think of them as the tools and ways of thinking that other sciences use. They include subjects like logic, mathematics, theoretical computer science, and statistics.

Unlike natural or social sciences, formal sciences don't test ideas by observing the real world. Instead, they look at the properties of systems based on definitions and rules. For example, in math, 2 + 2 always equals 4, no matter what. Even though they don't study the real world directly, formal sciences are super important. Big discoveries in math or logic often lead to big breakthroughs in other sciences!

Logic: How We Reason

Logic is the study of good reasoning. It helps us understand how to make strong arguments and draw correct conclusions from information. It looks at how ideas connect and what makes an argument valid or sound.

For a long time, logic was part of philosophy and mathematics. More recently, it's also studied in cognitive science, which combines ideas from computer science, linguistics, and psychology.

Mathematics: Numbers, Shapes, and Change

Mathematics is often called the language of the universe. It's about studying numbers, shapes, patterns, and how things change. The main areas of math are arithmetic (numbers), algebra (symbols and equations), geometry (shapes and space), and analysis (change and functions).

Math is a fundamental tool for almost all other sciences. It helps scientists describe the world, make predictions, and solve complex problems.

Statistics: Understanding Data

Statistics is the science of collecting, organizing, and understanding data. It helps us make sense of large amounts of information. For example, statisticians might figure out the average height of students in a school or predict election results.

Statisticians are experts at using data to find patterns and make informed decisions. There's also a part of statistics called mathematical statistics that focuses on the deeper math behind these methods.

Theoretical Computer Science: The Math of Computing

Theoretical computer science (TCS) is a part of computer science and mathematics. It focuses on the mathematical side of computing. It explores how computers work, what problems they can solve, and how efficiently they can solve them.

TCS covers many topics like algorithms (steps for solving problems), data structures (how data is organized), computational complexity (how hard a problem is for a computer), and cryptography (secret codes). It's all about using math to understand and improve computing.

Natural Sciences: Exploring the Natural World

Natural science is all about understanding the natural world around us. This includes everything from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies, and all living things. Natural scientists use observation and experimentation to gather evidence. They also use methods like peer review (where other scientists check their work) to make sure their findings are correct.

Natural science is usually split into two main parts: life science (also known as biology) and physical science. Physical science includes physics, chemistry, astronomy, and Earth science.

Physical Science: Non-Living Systems

Physical science is the part of natural science that studies non-living systems. This includes things like matter, energy, and forces. Even though it focuses on non-living things, many areas of physical science are also important for understanding living things.

Physics: The Rules of the Universe

Physics is a very old science that studies matter and how it moves through spacetime. It also looks at related ideas like energy and force. Basically, physics tries to understand how the universe works.

Physics helps explain why things fall, how light travels, and how electricity works. New ideas in physics often lead to new discoveries in other sciences and even new technologies.

Chemistry: The Science of Matter

Chemistry is the science of matter and how it changes. While physics looks at matter in a very general way, chemistry focuses on what matter is made of, how it behaves, and how it changes during chemical reactions.

Chemists study everything from tiny atoms and molecules to complex substances. Some branches of chemistry include biochemistry (the chemistry of living things) and physical chemistry (using physics to understand chemical processes).

Earth Science: Our Home Planet

Earth science is a big term for all the sciences related to our planet, Earth. It studies the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (land), and biosphere (life). Earth scientists use tools from physics, chemistry, biology, and math to understand how Earth works and how it has changed over time.

Geology: The Solid Earth

Geology is the study of the solid Earth. This includes the rocks it's made of and the processes that change them over time. Geologists study mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, and how continents move. They also study the solid parts of other planets and moons.

Oceanography: Exploring the Oceans

Oceanography is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean. It covers many topics, like the creatures living in the sea, ocean currents, waves, and the geology of the seafloor. Oceanographers use knowledge from biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to understand our vast oceans.

Meteorology: Weather and Climate

Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere. This is the science behind weather and climate. Meteorologists study things like clouds, storms, and temperature to predict the weather and understand long-term climate patterns. The development of computers has greatly improved weather forecasting.

Astronomy: The Universe Beyond Earth

Astronomy is the study of everything in outer space. This includes stars, planets, galaxies, and other celestial objects. It's part of a broader field called space science, which also looks at things like space travel and space exploration. Astronomers use telescopes and other tools to observe and understand the vast universe.

Biology: The Science of Life

Biology, also called life science, is the natural science that studies life. This includes tiny microorganisms, plants, and animals, including human beings. Biologists study how living things are built, how their bodies work, how they grow, and how they change over time through evolution.

Even though life is complex, biology has some main ideas: the cell is the basic unit of life, genes carry information from parents to offspring, and evolution explains how new species appear and old ones disappear.

Biochemistry: Life's Chemistry

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that happen inside and relate to living things. It's a mix of biology and chemistry. Biochemists explore how molecules like proteins, DNA, and sugars work together to keep organisms alive. It's key to understanding molecular biology and genetics.

Microbiology: Tiny Life Forms

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms. These are living things so small you need a microscope to see them, like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Microbiologists study how these tiny creatures live, grow, and interact with their environment, including how they affect humans.

Botany: The World of Plants

Botany is the science of plant life. Botanists study everything about plants, including how they grow, reproduce, and adapt to different environments. This field also traditionally includes the study of fungi and algae. There are hundreds of thousands of different plant species that botanists study!

Zoology: All About Animals

Zoology is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom. Zoologists explore the structure, development, evolution, and behavior of all animals, both living and extinct. They also look at how animals interact with their ecosystems. From insects to elephants, zoology covers a huge variety of creatures.

Ecology: Living Together

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. This includes both living things (like plants and animals) and non-living things (like water, soil, and air). Ecologists study topics like biodiversity, how populations grow, and how energy and materials move through an ecosystem.

Social Sciences: Understanding People and Societies

Social science is the branch of science that studies societies and how individuals behave within them. It helps us understand human behavior, culture, and social relationships. This field includes many different subjects, such as anthropology (the study of human cultures), economics (how people make choices about resources), political science (how governments work), and psychology (the study of the mind).

Social scientists use different methods to understand society. Some use methods similar to natural scientists, collecting data and testing theories. Others might focus on understanding meanings and interpretations in human interactions.

Applied Sciences: Science in Action

Applied science is all about using scientific knowledge to solve real-world problems and create useful things. While basic science aims to understand how things work, applied science uses that understanding to achieve practical goals.

This includes a wide range of fields like engineering, which uses scientific principles to design and build structures or machines, and medicine, which applies scientific knowledge to treat diseases and improve health. Applied science can also use formal sciences, like statistics, to help with things like understanding how diseases spread.

How the Branches Connect

The different branches of science are all connected. Here's a simple way to see how they relate:

Images for kids

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  Cluster network of scientific publications in relation to Nobel prizes.

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  A visualization of scientific outputs by field in OpenAlex.

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  Graph illustrating the recent development or history of scientific outputs based on data in OpenAlex.org

See also

In Spanish: Ramas de la ciencia para niños

• Index of branches of science
• List of words ending in ology
• Outline of science
• Branches of philosophy
• Philosophy of science
• Engineering physics
• Human science