Wikipedia:Contents/Natural and physical sciences/Intro

In science, the term natural science refers to a rational approach to the study of the universe, which is understood as obeying rules or laws of natural origin.

The term 'natural science' is also used to distinguish those fields that use the scientific method to study nature from the social sciences, which use the scientific method to study human behavior and society; and from the formal sciences, such as mathematics and logic, which use a different methodology.

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 involuntary, somewhat arbitrary distinction, since many branches of physical science also study biological phenomena.