User:Cbryant45

Physical science is an encompassing term for the branches of natural science and science that study non-living systems, in contrast to the Biological sciences. However, the term "physical" creates an unintended, somewhat arbitrary distinction, since many branches of physical science also study biological phenomena.

The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods. The term "natural science" is used to distinguish the subject matter from the social sciences, which apply the scientific method to study human behavior and social patterns; the humanities, which use a critical or analytical approach to study the human condition; and the formal sciences such as mathematics and logic, which use an a priori, as opposed to factual methodology to study formal systems.