Editing Natural science (section)

==Interdisciplinary studies==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2019}}

The distinctions between the natural science disciplines are not always sharp, and they share many cross-discipline fields. Physics plays a significant role in the other natural sciences, as represented by [[astrophysics]], [[geophysics]], [[chemical physics]] and [[biophysics]]. Likewise chemistry is represented by such fields as [[biochemistry]], [[physical chemistry]], [[geochemistry]] and [[astrochemistry]].

A particular example of a scientific discipline that draws upon multiple natural sciences is [[environmental science]]. This field studies the interactions of physical, chemical, geological, and [[biological components]] of the [[environment (biophysical)|environment]], with particular regard to the effect of human activities and the impact on [[biodiversity]] and [[sustainability]]. This science also draws upon expertise from other fields, such as economics, law, and social sciences.

A comparable discipline is [[oceanography]], as it draws upon a similar breadth of scientific disciplines. Oceanography is sub-categorized into more specialized cross-disciplines, such as [[physical oceanography]] and [[marine biology]]. As the [[marine ecosystem]] is vast and diverse, marine biology is further divided into many subfields, including specializations in particular [[species]].

There is also a subset of cross-disciplinary fields with strong currents that run counter to specialization by the nature of the problems they address. Put another way: In some fields of integrative application, specialists in more than one field are a key part of most scientific discourse. Such integrative fields, for example, include [[nanoscience]], [[astrobiology]], and [[complex system]] [[Informatics (academic field)|informatics]].

===Materials science===
{{Main|Materials science}}
[[File:Materials science tetrahedron;structure, processing, performance, and proprerties.svg|thumb|The materials paradigm represented as a tetrahedron]]
Materials science is a relatively new, interdisciplinary field that deals with the study of [[matter]] and its properties and the discovery and design of new materials. Originally developed through the field of [[metallurgy]], the study of the properties of materials and solids has now expanded into all materials. The field covers the chemistry, physics, and engineering applications of materials, including metals, ceramics, artificial polymers, and many others. The field's core deals with relating the structure of materials with their properties.

Materials science is at the forefront of research in science and engineering. It is an essential part of [[forensic engineering]] (the investigation of materials, products, structures, or components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing personal injury or damage to property) and [[failure analysis]], the latter being the key to understanding, for example, the cause of various aviation accidents. Many of the most pressing scientific problems that are faced today are due to the limitations of the materials that are available, and, as a result, breakthroughs in this field are likely to have a significant impact on the future of technology.

The basis of materials science involves studying the structure of materials and relating them to their [[property|properties]]. Understanding this structure-property correlation, material scientists can then go on to study the relative performance of a material in a particular application. The major determinants of the structure of a material and, thus, of its properties are its constituent chemical elements and how it has been processed into its final form. These characteristics, taken together and related through the laws of [[thermodynamics]] and [[kinetics (physics)|kinetics]], govern a material's [[microstructure]] and thus its properties.