What Is Materials Science? (from a book)

What Is Materials Science? Materials science is a multidisciplinary science that has evolved from the combination of a number of specialized fields of the metallurgist, the ceramist, the solid-state physicist, the electronic engineer, the polymer chemist, and the biotechnologist in which the common threads that weave these diverse fields into a generalized field of study have been recognized. Modern science has transformed what used to be largely an empirical art into a multidisciplinary exact science involving physics, chemistry, various fields of engineering, and, to some extent, even biology that allows us to begin to understand the behavior of materials and to manipulate matter at the most fundamental or atomic level. This capability allows materials scientists to understand a material’s properties in terms of its structure, to design material structures to achieve certain properties, and to develop processes to achieve the desired structures. 

The difference between engineering and science has become increasingly blurred as technology has become more complex. Clearly, today’s engineers must have a broad knowledge of science to understand the source of the knowledge they apply and today’s scientists must be aware of the practical applications of their scientific quest for knowledge if they wish to guide their research in the most fruitful directions. Although there are still ‘‘pure’’ scientists who seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake and could care less if it has any application, in today’s competition for research funding, it pays to direct one’s interest to questions of practical nature. Materials science by its nature is an applied science. Many institutions combine the scientific and engineering aspects and offer degrees in materials science and engineering. If one has to make a distinction between the two fields, it could be said that materials science is more interested in the basic understanding of the relationship between the structure and properties of materials in order to design new materials with specific properties and materials engineers are more interested in how to produce the materials economically, assure that the materials produced have the desired properties, and that the materials selected for specific applications do their intended jobs.

Reference: http://bookzz.org/dl/2572469/a57bfe