If you want to make a choice between chemistry and chemical engineering career path, these differences will help you to take a better decision. And you can find out the career path you are suited more.
Here you will get to know, the four major difference between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree. So let’s get started…
Bachelors in Chemistry
[1] Major Field of Study
Mainly deals with the chemical reactions between two or more substances. And study the properties of the chemicals and their chemical reactions (Organic + Inorganic Compound). So here the major study is about chemistry.
Bachelors in Chemistry = Chemical Compound Studies
[2] Work Environment
The vast majority of chemistry graduate works in the laboratory and organisations that deal with the chemical compounds. The point is they work Inside the office, in an AC room.
They work on a small scale (Lab Scale): Mixing individual molecules or atoms with other individual molecules, and analyse them like; how particles will react and contact with each other? Chemists work with relatively small amounts of materials on a laboratory bench.
[3] Basic Job Responsibilities
A chemist generally works to produce chemical compound patents. And doing researches for the pharmaceuticals and chemical industries.
[4] A Chemist answerable to these questions
- What is the structure of the chemical compound?
- How is reaction possible between two different molecules?
- Can we make it possible?
- How to achieve the desired result in the best possible way by using these reactants and chemical molecules?
Bachelors in Chemical Engineering
[1] Major Field of Study
As compared to ‘Bachelors in Chemistry’ it is a vast domain that deals with chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering. Chemical Engineering deals with the product and services. Therefore this engineering domain gives you skills to design, create and find an efficient solution for the industries.
Bachelors in Chemical Engineering = Chemical + Physics + Mathematics + Engineering
[2] Work Environment
The vast majority of chemical engineers works with the chemical plants. They also spend their most of the time in the office. But here the condition is different; a chemical engineer has to go for the plant surveillance where the heavy boiler, pump, compressor, etc. are continuously is in processing.
Therefore as a chemical engineer sometimes you have to face the heat and heavy sounds of the plant machinery.
They work on a large scale (Industry Scale): Mix two or multiple chemicals container in a boiler with the concern of heat and other reactive properties. A chemical engineer work in industry and plant with factory size equipment.
[3] Basic Job responsibilities
A chemical engineer creating and find the more efficient way for the industries and plants to manufacturing the products and helps to generate more profits. So if you are choosing this career path you are responsible to keep the plant’s machinery running to get the output.
[4] A Chemical Engineer answerable to these questions
- Which are the raw chemicals we could use to get more profit?
- What is the cost of using chemicals in the process?
- How can we produce lots of products using these compound?
- Is the current using machinery is competent to produce the desired output (Product+ Profit)?
Do you know you can make money just testing the Chocolates; know, How you can become a Chocolate Taster and What is the future scope in this career path?
Let’s understand with an example: Bath Soap
A chemist can make a soap in the laboratory that has a consistency to all required properties and fulfils all the health-related standards. But here we are making a few quality soaps. So if we need hundreds and thousands of soaps this option is not a feasible solution to produce the soap in bulk quantity.
Therefore we have to use machinery to produce thousands of bath soap to fulfil the market demand. And here we need a chemical engineer to manufacture that amount of soap with minimal cost; by following the health parameters, set by government agencies.
The relation between Chemist and Chemical Engineer:
A Chemist does research and invents something new in test-tube & chemical engineer use that test-tube idea and scale it up.
Both fields are becoming necessary to create a valuable product and so they deserve greater public recognition.
Therefore both chemistry and chemical engineerings are good subjects to study.
If you want to become a chemical engineer but don’t know; How to become? Click here to get the complete career guide. After reading this article of “How to become a Chemical Engineer” you able to decide is chemical engineering career path a right fit for me…or not.
I hope now you get to understand the exact and lucid meaning of chemical engineering and get clear the misunderstanding between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree.