The Intersection of Chemistry and Calculus: a Mutually Beneficial Crossroad

Calculus concepts such as derivatives and integrals play an important role in some areas of chemistry, in particular, topics in physical chemistry such as chemical kinetics and thermodynamics. The ways chemists use mathematics suggests how calculus can support students in making meaning of phenomena and processes in chemistry; however, we posit that chemistry can also be used to support students in making meaning of calculus concepts. In this work, we begin by describing the discipline of chemistry to identify an abridged list of topics that use calculus. We then discuss the nature of thinking with rates of change in kinetics and the behavior of gases in thermodynamics, focusing on the insight they provide in building a conception of what derivatives and integrals may represent. In each of these examples, we show how the nature of thinking in chemistry and calculus can be mutually beneficial.