What is Science?

Science can be defined as both a field of study that acquires knowledge and the organized body of knowledge gained from the field of study. The field of study uses observation, including watching, listening, feeling, recording, and experimentation to discover what is in the universe and explain natural phenomena in the world. Scientific experimentation involves predictive methodologies and the collection and testing of empirical evidence. There are three main realms of science: the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the formal sciences. The natural sciences describe, understand, and predict the natural world and the universe. It includes the scientific branches of biology, chemistry, and physics, which are further divided into sub-fields such as biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, earth science, environmental science, botany, cell biology, electrochemistry, astronomy, and microbiology. Social sciences deal with the study of human societies and human-world interactions. Sub-fields of the social sciences include sociology, psychology, law, politics, anthropology, geography, history, cultural studies, and economics. Lastly, the formal sciences involve the study of formal systems. They include sub-fields such as mathematics, engineering, computer science, logic, statistics, artificial intelligence, data science, systems science, and engineering.

Science is a very important field of study and is applied to the daily activities of humans. The use of science is how many valuable inventions were created that are essential to everyday life, including lightbulbs in our homes, kitchen appliances, cellphones to communicate with family and friends, and cars for traveling. Science has also led to advances in the medical field, allowing humans to manage diseases and live longer.

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Science Topics

Science Resources

Study.com offers many accessible resources about science, including scientific articles for various grade levels and learning goals. Access our science courses to learn about science and its three main branches: the formal sciences, natural sciences, and social sciences. The courses allow educators and students to set their own pace and access lessons to supplement in-class learning.

Science Courses

The Study.com library of engaging online science courses touches on topics of different branches of science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science. These courses will help learners engage and strengthen their understanding of the sciences through self-paced video lessons that can help learners study for exams and boost their grades. Students can access these science courses and learn at their own pace.

Astronomy 101: Intro to Astronomy

This self-paced introductory course provides engaging lessons about the universe and human history from expert instructors in the field of astronomy. This course allows students to transfer up to 3 semester hours to over 2,000 colleges and universities.

Biology 101: Intro to Biology

This introductory course about biology offers students a convenient and self-paced jumpstart their degree program with engaging lessons and supplementary videos. This course allows students to transfer up to 3 semester hours to over 2,000 colleges and universities.

Chemistry 101: General Chemistry

This general chemistry course offers self-paced, engaging lessons about the fundamental topics of organic and inorganic chemistry. This course includes a proctored exam and can be transferred for up to 3 semester hours to over 2,000 colleges and universities.

Earth Science 101: Earth Science

Get started on a degree with this fun and engaging introductory course about earth science topics like cycles of matter, weather, fossil preservation, earthquakes, and more. Up to 3 semester hours may be transferred to over 2,000 colleges and universities.

Geology 101: Physical Geology

This engaging course can help students learn everything they need to know about general physical geology to get a head start on their degree program. Up to 3 semester hours of this course can be transferred to over 2,000 colleges and universities.

For teachers and parents

Science Lesson Plans for Teachers

Study.com offers science teachers hundreds of science lesson plans, activities, and assignments. Teachers can access the comprehensive library of resources to supplement their lessons at any time. This course includes lessons and resources for physics, chemistry, earth science, and more.

Lesson plans
  • Space Science Lesson Plans & Activities

    Plan and supplement space science lessons with this mobile-friendly course. Access our lesson planning resources, topical lessons, and supplemental teaching materials to provide students with engaging lessons.

  • Life Science Lesson Plans & Games

    Access our lesson plans and resources to supplement lessons on fundamental life science concepts. The course has easy-to-use lesson plan outlines, engaging supplemental lessons, and fun class activities.

  • Chemistry Lesson Plans & Activities

    These lesson plans provide fun and engaging ideas for teaching basic chemistry concepts including radioactivity, acids and bases, chemical bonds, and more. Access our library of resources to supplement lesson plans.

  • Physical Sciences Lesson Plans & Games

    Check out this helpful resource course for planning and teaching physical science lessons. This course includes lesson plan outlines, games, activities, and quizzes on foundational topics of the physical sciences.

  • Earth Science Lesson Plans & Activities

    These lesson plans and activities about Earth and space science provide fun and engaging resources to make lessons interesting for students. This course includes lesson plan outlines, games, activities, and more.

  • Plants & Ecology Lesson Plans

    These lesson plans and resources on plants and ecology provide engaging lessons on food chains and biomes and plants. Crease lessons, activities, quizzes, and exams for students accessing these resources at any time.

  • Weather Lesson Plans & Resources

    These lesson plans and resources will provide teachers with engaging and fun classroom activities and extended projects about the weather. Access our library of helpful resources to make learning fun.

  • Electricity, Physics & Engineering Lesson Plans

    This professionally written course of lesson plans on engineering, electricity, and physics provides engaging and fun activities. These lessons can be useful as homework help, class work, or test prep.

Science Skills & Practices

Access our collection of practice problems designed to help students learn and master the fundamentals of chemistry and physics skills. The science skills and practice collection includes thousands of practice problems, step-by-step explanations, video walkthroughs, games and activities, self-assessment quizzes, and proctored exams, among many other useful resources.

The chemistry resources have been designed to help students learn and master fundamental high school chemistry skills, including practice problems related to mass, volume, and density, substances and solutions, reaction and solution stoichiometry, buffers and weak acids, and equilibrium. Similarly, the AP chemistry resources are also designed to help students learn and master the fundamental high school chemistry skills, including practice problems related to argumentation, valence electrons and ionic compounds, the structure of ionic solids, metals and alloys, properties of solids, kinetic-molecular theory, spectroscopy, the electromagnetic spectrum, the photoelectric effect, and physical and chemical changes. The chemistry skills practice resources include materials that have been aligned with Texas and Florida school's state chemistry standards.

Skills in physics are also a part of our collection of science skills and practices specially designed for high school students. In the high school physics resources, students will find resources related to nuclear and atomic physics, diffraction and polarization, light and optics, magnetism, electric current and circuits, static electricity, thermodynamics and engines, sounds, waves, heat and thermal physics, forces, and rotational motions.

The AP physics resources have been divided into various categories, including Physics 1, Physics 2, Psychics C: E&M, and Physics C: Mechanics. Physics 1 includes topics such as kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, simple harmonic motion, momentum, torque, and rotational motion. Physics 2 includes fluids, thermodynamics, electric force, electric circuits, magnetism, and electromagnetic induction. AP Physics C: E&M skills resources include electrostatics, conductors, capacitors, dielectrics, electric circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetism. Lastly, AP Physics C: Mechanics skills resources include Newton's laws and forces, work, energy, and power, particles and linear momentum, rotations and oscillations, and gravitation. With these practice problems and resources, students will master the sciences.

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Science Homeschool Curriculum

Our informative homeschool curriculum course offers the most important topics taught in middle and high school science courses. The 7th Grade Science: Life Science, Middle School Life Science: Homeschool Curriculum, Middle School Physical Science: Homeschool Curriculum, and Middle School Earth Science: Homeschool Curriculum offers resources that middle schoolers will find helpful to their studies. The AP Biology: Homeschool Curriculum, High School Biology: Homeschool Curriculum, High School Chemistry: Homeschool Curriculum, High School Physical Science: Homeschool Curriculum, AP Physics 1: Homeschool Curriculum, and High School Physics: Homeschool Curriculum offers resources geared more towards the high school students.

Access these resources to learn with engaging lessons that include supplemental videos, activities, and quizzes.

Homeschool solutions
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Study.com is an excellent program that can help my children learn anything. The incredible library of videos is more than I could have ever hoped for.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are some types of sciences?

    There are many types of sciences. Examples of some types include biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, history, law, mathematics, engineering, and computer science.

  • What is a simple definition of science?

    Science can be defined as the study that acquires knowledge through observations and experiments and the body of knowledge gained from the field of study. The three main realms of science include the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the formal sciences

Scholarships and Career Resources for STEM Students

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Earning a degree and starting you career can be intimidating for any student - but for a competitive and expansive field like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) it can be even more intimidating. Earning a degree and starting you career can be intimidating for any student - but for a competitive and expansive field like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) it can be even more daunting. STEM careers are on the rise, with some of the fastest-growing occupations according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, and majoring in a STEM field can help set you up for career success after college. With so many wide-ranging options, it can be hard to figure out where to get started. Here are some great resources to help you in your college and career journey in STEM:

Trending & Growing Jobs in STEM

Careers in STEM continue to be among the fastest-growing, most impactful, and highest-paying jobs in the United States. However, that does breed some competition for landing roles in the field. To help you embark on the journey of landing a career in the field of STEM, we've identified some of the fastest growing jobs in the field:

  • Computer Engineering: At the intersection of electrical engineering and computer science, Computer Engineers utilize their learnings to develop and improve hardware & software for our computers. If you're passionate about creating the next great invention in computing technology, or creating your own AI language Model like ChatGPT, this could be the career for you! All we ask is that you do us all one favor - please don't let Artificial Intelligence take over and rule over us.
  • Civil Engineering: It's cliche, but the journey is truly as important as the destination - at least for a Civil Engineer. These engineers work to design and construct our major transportation networks and other important infrastructure. If you've ever been in a similar situation to Martin Brody and are thinking you're going to need a bigger boat, maybe you can become a civil engineer and create a shark-proof boat channel.
  • Statistics: If you've ever dreamed of becoming the next Billy Beane and revolutionizing a sport through statistics or dreamed of utilizing data to lead a business to its strongest year yet, this could be the career for you! Ingesting copious amounts of data and streamlining it to drive decision-making can help put any business over-the-top - if it led the Oakland A's to the playoffs there's no telling what a career in statistics can do for you.
  • Web Development: Designing and creating the structure of a website is a unique blend of the STEM and STEAM fields, as not only is extensive knowledge of computer programming required - but so is knowledge of graphic design. If you've ever wondered how websites work, wanted to build a personal website, or had a longstanding gripe against a webpage for taking too long to load you can pursue a degree in web development to learn how to make the internet a better place!