Women in Physical Science

Women in Physical Science — page 3 — reach from the tiniest particles to distant stars They have changed how we view the world Where Are the Women More than half of all US college students are women Unfortunately the percentage of women studying physical science is far below this In 2014 women earned only 20 percent of all US bachelor’s degrees in physics In that same year only 18 percent of working physicists and astronomers were women So why aren’t there more women in physical science What Is Physical Science The term physical science is broad It covers the study of all nonliving matter and energy It includes fields such as astronomy physics chemistry and Earth science Astronomy is the study of outer space Physics looks at how energy and matter interact Chemistry is the study of how matter changes Earth science focuses on our planet It includes everything from the planet’s core to its atmosphere Each field of physical science can be divided into many subfields 6

Women in Physical Science — page 4 — Women have not had the same rights and opportunities as men Social biases have held them back They have had to struggle to get education They have had to push to get science jobs And often they have not gotten credit for their discoveries Many women scientists have faced some or all of these obstacles But they have not let this stop them These women work for the love of science IN THE REAL WORLD The Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize is one of the highest honors in the world People who do outstanding work in specific fields can win it It is given out in six areas physics chemistry medicine literature peace and economics Different institutions decide who will get each award The winner of a Nobel Prize is called a Nobel Laureate Nobel Prizes were first given out in 1901 Between 1901 and 2015 only five women won Nobel Prizes in physics or chemistry Marie Curie won in both physics and chemistry Maria Goeppert Mayer also received a Nobel Prize in physics Irène Joliot Curie Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin and Ada Yonath received prizes in chemistry 7

Women in Physical Science — page 5 — Physical science research draws explorers to caves deep underground 8

Women in Physical Science — page 6 — The Proof Is in the Science Women have had to work hard to prove themselves in physical science fields The road has been a hard one Luckily that is changing We live in exciting times Many people realize how important it is to have more women in science Having diverse researchers and perspectives makes science stronger More girls are being encouraged to study science They are better supported in college Women scientists have more opportunities Every day many women around the world study physical science They follow their interests to the bottom of the ocean to the edges of outer space or into the center of an atom They notice new details and solve problems They discover why things happen the way they do And they inspire others No one knows what these explorers will find next But it is certain that their curiosity will lead them to exciting new discoveries Their work is important It teaches us more about our world 9

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