Which Physics Fields Are Best for Those Who Dislike Chemistry?

[cscott]

If I'm not a big fan of chemistry, are there are fields of physics I should potentially stay away from?

 

[rbj]

p-chem?
.

 

[SticksandStones]

What is it about chemistry that you do not like?

 

[mr_coffee]

I didn't know physics majors requires more chem than a regular engineering major but all schools are different. I have a friend who is a physics major and he took the same amount of chem as me, only 2 courses.

 

[colin.mcenroe]

I am tranferring to UC Davis from my community college in the winter as a physics major and I am finishing up my second semester of chemistry. I also dislike chemistry; I just don't find the material very satisfying. It seems that there is a greater emphasis placed on memorization (elements, oxidation numbers) and to me the problems are not much fun to grind through.

I can't imagine it to be too big of a deal not to like chemistry, after all you are a physics major.

 

[rbj]

Chemistry is much less elegant, in my opinion, than physics. someday all of chemistry can be understood in terms of physics and someday, even later, all of biology and medicine, i s'pose. but at present, there is a lot more memorization of facts (like what is it that comes out of various specific chemical reactions) in chemistry than there is in physics. being an electrical engineer, i can't claim to be a physicist anymore than an EE is a physicist, but from this perspective, physics is more congruent to my neurons than chemsitry is. i don't even know for sure what the chemistry of a ordinary lead-acid battery is.

 

[cscott]

rbj touched on what I think as well... I mean I've hardly taken any "real" chem but the resonance structures we're doing right now are borrrrinngg for me. I don't see the same math type stuff in chem as I do physics and feel I'm doing everything in a 'cookbook' style fashion.

I have to take two terms of chem as a physics major.

 

[^_^physicist]

are there are fields of physics I should potentially stay away from?

Biophysics and Atmospheric for sure.

Biophysics as it is, at the moment, publishing in many of the same journals as biochemists, so according to the biophysicist at my univeristy you have to have a moderate understanding of chemistry to understand a fairly important portion of the research going on. Of course that is if you are tending towards protein biophysics...membrane biophysics he told me wasn't so bad if you have a bit of difficulty with the chemistry.

Atmospheric, from the grad students that I have talked to that were doing it when I applied to the university I currently attend (the grad students have since then left), were heavily in chemistry and had very strong chemistry backgrounds. Also one of the professors in the physics department, who's research is on atmospheric physics, actually only has a degree in chemistry and not physics. So I am going to infer that their is a decent amount of chemistry involved there.

Both are interesting stuff, but they tend to be pushed to the side.

I don't know about the demand of chem in the other sections...maybe someone else can answer add more onto that.

 

[Atomos]

rbj touched on what I think as well... I mean I've hardly taken any "real" chem but the resonance structures we're doing right now are borrrrinngg for me.

I am not sure how rigorous your study of resonance structures is, but if it is similar to the base level at which I learned it in IB-HL chem in high school, give chemistry a chance