[davidenarb]

Hi chemists,

Chemistry has four major components: Analytical, inorganic, organic and physical.

I would like, from you own experience in chemistry, to classify from the highest to lowest subject of chemistry that has a significant workload.

In my opinion: 1.organic 2.physical 3.analytical 4.inorganic

What about yours?

Thanks

[Snfkn]

For me I'd have to say: Organic>Inorganic>Physical>Analytical.
But that's in regard to amount of content to be covered.
In terms of difficulty and time needed on each topic: Physical>Inorganic>Organic>Analytical.

[Dan]

For me Inorganic>Physical>Organic. Analytical was integrated within those 3 in my undergraduate course so I can't rank it separately.

I found inorganic required more memorisation so I had to spend more time on it, whereas physical tended to flow from fundamental equations and organic, for me, continuously builds on fundamental mechanistic concepts. That's my heavily biased opinion.

[Corribus]

They all require a lot of work, just different kinds. I don't think it's possible to generalize the workload. Some people are naturally better at organic chemistry than physical, and vice-versa, and thus can learn the material with more or less work input.

[Arkcon]

I think, on some level at least, you can differentiate the types of chemistry you're identified by the type of mathematics they use.  For example, physical chemistry, based a great deal on physics, will require more and more advanced calculus, the branch of mathematics invented to describe physics.  Analytical chemistry requires statistics, more and more as more advanced topics are studied.  As I recall (vaguely) multivariable algebra is used to describe thins like orbitals, and other advanced inorganic chemistry concepts.  On the other hand, if I used anything other than basic arithmetic for organic chemistry, I don't remember it.  On the other hand, organic was memorization intensive.