"There are a number of different branches of chemistry. These
include organic chemistry which studies the structure, properties,
reactions, and composition of carbon-based compounds, and inorganic
chemistry which deals with non-carbon compounds. Another important
subdiscipline is physical chemistry which deals with the relations
between the physical properties of substances and their chemical
formations studying, in particular, atomic, subatomic, macroscopic,
and particulate phenomena in chemical systems.
"Chemistry is found in many different areas including all
spheres of industry, research, teaching, forensic science, public
health and much more. Moreover, at a fundamental level we are all
chemists. Each time we breathe, boil a kettle, or strike a match, a
chemical reaction takes place. We develop and function as a
consequence of chemical processes taking place in our body.
Chemistry therefore plays a significant role in everyone's
lives.
"Science really prospers and advances when individuals share the
results of their experiments with others in the scientific
community. There is a certain logic that scientific software should
therefore be released under an open source license. This article
focuses in selecting the best open source software for chemistry.
Hopefully there will be something for interest here for all budding
chemists."
