What is Physics?

In ancient times, the systematic study of fundamental natural laws was not a huge
concern. The concern was staying alive. Science, as it existed at that time, consisted
primarily of agriculture and, eventually, engineering to improve the daily lives of the
growing societies. The sailing of a ship, for example, utilizes air drag, the same principle
that keeps an airplane aloft. The ancients were able to figure out how to construct and
operate sailing ships without precise rules for this principle.
The ancients are known perhaps best for their astronomy, which continues to influence us
heavily today. They regularly observed the heavens, which were believed to be a divine
realm with the Earth at its center. It was certainly obvious to everyone that the sun, moon,
and stars moved across the heaven in a regular pattern, and humans began identifying
constellations in the heavens and used these signs of the odiac to define calendars and
seasons.
!athematics developed first in the !iddle East, though the precise origins vary
depending upon which historian one talks to. It is almost certain that the origin of
mathematics was for simple recordkeeping in commerce and government.
Egypt made profound progress in the development of basic geometry, because of the
need to clearly define farming territory following the annual flooding of the "ile.
Some scholars in the #th century $.%. refused to accept the ancient supernatural
explanations of nature and proclaimed categorically that every event had a natural cause.
Science
&. The systematic study of the nature and behavior of the material and physical universe,
based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to
describe these facts in general terms
'. The knowledge so obtained or the practice of obtaining it
(. )ny particular branch of this knowledge* the pure and applied sciences.
+. )ny body of knowledge organized in a systematic manner
#. Skill or techni,ue
-. .nowledge
Scientific method
The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific ,uestions by making
observations and doing experiments.
The steps of the scientific method are to*
)sk a /uestion
0o $ackground 1esearch
%onstruct a 2ypothesis
Test 3our 2ypothesis by 0oing an Experiment
)nalyze 3our 0ata and 0raw a %onclusion
%ommunicate 3our 1esults
Physics
4hysics is the most basic science, which deals with the study of nature and natural
phenomena. 5nderstanding science begins with understanding physics. 6ith every
passing day, physics has brought to us deeper levels of understanding of nature. 4hysics
is an empirical study. Everything we know about physical world and about the principles
that govern its behaviour has been learned through observations of the phenomena of
nature. The ultimate test of any physical theory is its agreement with observations and
measurements of physical phenomena. Thus physics is inherently a science of
measurement.
The dictionary definition of physics is 7the study of matter, energy, and the interaction
between them8, but what that really means is that physics is about asking fundamental
,uestions and trying to answer them by observing and experimenting.
4hysicists ask really big ,uestions like*
2ow did the universe begin9
2ow will the universe change in the future9
2ow does the Sun keep on shining9
6hat are the basic building blocks of matter9
6hat do 4hysicists do9
!any physicists work in :pure; research, trying to find answers to these types of
,uestion. The answers they come up with often lead to unexpected technological
applications. <or example, all of the technology we take for granted today, including
games consoles, mobile phones, mp( players, and 0=0s, is based on a theoretical
understanding of electrons that was developed around the turn of the '>th century.
4hysics doesn;t ?ust deal with theoretical concepts. It;s applied in every sphere of human
activity, including*
0evelopment of sustainable forms of energy production
Treating cancer, through radiotherapy, and diagnosing illness through various types of
imaging, all based on physics.
0eveloping computer games
0esign and manufacture of sports e,uipment
5nderstanding and predicting earth,uakes
6hat about mathematics9
!any apparently complicated things in nature can be understood in terms of relatively
simple mathematical relationships. 4hysicists try to uncover these relationships through
observing, creating mathematical models, and testing them by doing experiments. The
mathematical e,uations used in physics often look far more complicated than they really
are.
4hysicists are increasingly using advanced computers and programming languages in the
solution of scientific problems, particularly for modelling complex processes. If the
simulation is not based on correct physics, then it has no chance of predicting what really
happens in nature.
Unification and reductionism
The word physics is derived from @eek word :fusis; which means nature. The Sanskrit
word :$hautiki; is used for the study of physical world. 4hysics can be defined as the
branch of science which deals with nature and natural phenomena.
Two principles thrusts in the study of 4hysics are*A
&. 5nification which means explaining different physical phenomena by using few laws
and concepts.
'. 1eductionism which means explaining complex phenomena by breaking them into
smaller constituents and studying simpler parts.
Scope and excitement of physics
%lassification of 4hysics
&. !icroscopic or !odern 4hysics which deals with the study of atoms, molecules and
other microscopic elements.
'. !acroscopic or %lassical 4hysics which deals with the study of astronomical and other
big elements. $ranches like*
!echanics* !echanics is the branch of science concerned with the behavior of physical
bodies when sub?ected to forces or displacements, and the subse,uent effects of the
bodies on their environment. 0uring the early modern period, scientists such as @alileo,
.epler, and especially "ewton, laid the foundation for what is now known as classical
mechanics. It is a branch of classical physics that deals with particles that are either at
rest or are moving with velocities significantly less than the speed of light. It can also be
defined as a branch of science which deals with the motion of and forces on ob?ects.
Thermodynamics* Thermodynamics is a branch of natural science concerned with heat
and temperature and their relation to energy and work. It defines macroscopic variables,
such as internal energy, entropy, and pressure that partly describe a body of matter or
radiation. It states that the behavior of those variables is sub?ect to general constraints that
are common to all materials, not the peculiar properties of particular materials. These
general constraints are expressed in the four laws of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics
describes the bulk behavior of the body, not the microscopic behaviors of the very large
numbers of its microscopic constituents, such as molecules. Its laws are explained by
statistical mechanics, in terms of the microscopic constituents.
Bptics* Bptics is the branch of physics which involves the behaviour and properties of
light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or
detect it. Bptics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light.
$ecause light is an electromagnetic wave, other forms of electromagnetic radiation such
as CArays, microwaves, and radio waves exhibit similar properties.
Electrodynamics* The scientific study of electric charge and electric and magnetic fields,
along with the forces and motions those fields induce
(. !esoscopic 4hysics which deals with the study of hundreds of atoms or molecules.
!odern physics provides a wider, and therefore more accurate, picture of the behavior of
the universe than does classical physics. $ecause classical physics is easier to understand
and use, however, it remains valuable in several situations. %lassical physics is directly
related to everyday experience and, therefore, provides a good introduction to the study
of physics. !ost high school and introductory college physics courses are primarily
classical physics. In most everyday occurrences classical physics is as accurate as modern
physicsD as in, for example, computing the force needed to move a heavy ob?ect, or
determining the speed of a train. %lassical physics, therefore, is still useful.
!odern physics is reserved for situations where classical physics does not apply. These
situations arise particularly when extremely small masses or high speeds Espeeds
approaching the speed of lightF are involved. Even when not used directly, modern
physics provides the theoretical basis for the work done in physics.
4hysics, technology and society
Fundamental forces in nature
Gravitational force: The force of attraction between all masses in the universe,
especially the attraction of the earthGs mass for bodies near its surface. @ravitational force
surrounds us. It is what decides how much we weigh and how far a basketball will travel
when thrown before it returns to the surface. The gravitational force on Earth is e,ual to
the force the Earth exerts on you. )t rest, on or near the surface of the Earth, the
gravitational force e,uals your weight. Bn a different astronomical body like =enus or
the !oon, the acceleration of gravity is different than on Earth, so if you were to stand on
a scale, it would show you that you weigh a different amount than on Earth.
"ewton;s Haw of 5niversal @ravitation is used to explain gravitational force. This law
states that every massive particle in the universe attracts every other massive particle with
a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the s,uare of the distance between them. This general, physical law was
derived from observations made by induction. )nother way, more modern, way to state
the law is* :every point mass attracts every single other point mass by a force pointing
along the line intersecting both points. The force is proportional to the product of the two
masses and inversely proportional to the s,uare of the distance between the point
masses;.
Electromagnetic force: The fundamental force that is associated with electric and
magnetic fields and is responsible for atomic structure, chemical reactions, and the
attractive and repulsive forces associated with electrical charge and magnetism, and all
other electromagnetic phenomena.
Strong nuclear force* The strong interaction Ealso called the strong force, nuclear strong
force or color forceF is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature. It is about &>>
times stronger than electromagnetism, which in turn is orders of magnitude stronger than
the weak force interaction and gravitation. It ensures the stability of ordinary matter, and
is the force that binds protons and neutrons EnucleonsF together to form the nucleus of an
atom.
Weak nuclear force: The weak nuclear force can be defined as a fundamental force of
nature and gravity. It is a force that is responsible for the radioactive decay of subatomic
particles and allows the Sun to provide us energy. It is the radioactive decay of an atomic
nucleus accompanied by emission of a beta particle.
o!ards Unification of Forces
The unification of forces is the idea that it;s possible to view all of nature;s forces as
manifestations of one single, allAencompassing force.
Scientists have made great strides toward the goal of understanding how the forces can be
combined. "ewton realized in the &Ith century that the same gravitational force that
describes an apple falling from a tree also describes the moon;s orbit around Earth. Then,
in the &Jth century, Kames %lerk !axwell demonstrated that the electric and magnetic
forces are aspects of a single electromagnetic force. <inally, in the '>th century, Steven
6einberg, )bdus Salam and Sheldon Hee @lashow discovered that, at high energies, the
electromagnetic and weak forceLwithout which the sun wouldn;t shineLmerge into a
single electroweak force.
Today, scientists seek to unify this with the strong force, without which the nucleus of an
atom wouldn;t hold together, under a @rand 5nified Theory. 5nfortunately, the predicted
energy at which these forces would experimentally combine is about &>> billion times the
energy produced by todayGs most powerful particle accelerators. )nd even if we succeed
in figuring out how the strong force fits into the puzzle, we will still need to look to even
higher energies to combine these forces with gravity. $ut it will be worth it.
5nderstanding whether the known subatomic forces have a common origin is key to
creating a Theory of Everything.
4roperties of the <undamental <orces
The strong interaction is very strong, but very shortAranged. It acts only over ranges of
order &>A&( centimeters and is responsible for holding the nuclei of atoms together. It is
basically attractive, but can be effectively repulsive in some circumstances.
The electromagnetic force causes electric and magnetic effects such as the repulsion
between like electrical charges or the interaction of bar magnets. It is longAranged, but
much weaker than the strong force. It can be attractive or repulsive, and acts only
between pieces of matter carrying electrical charge.
The weak force is responsible for radioactive decay and neutrino interactions. It has a
very short range and, as its name indicates, it is very weak.
The gravitational force is weak, but very long ranged. <urthermore, it is always
attractive, and acts between any two pieces of matter in the 5niverse since mass is its
source.
The Tortoise and the 2are* @ravity )lways 6ins
The four fundamental forces all play central roles in making the 5niverse what it is
today, but with respect to the largeAscale issues that are of interest to cosmology it is
gravitation that is most important. This is because of two of its basic properties that set it
apart from the other forces* E&F it is longAranged and thus can act over cosmological
distances, and E'F it always supplies an attractive force between any two pieces of matter
in the 5niverse.
Thus, although gravitation is extremely weak, it always wins over cosmological distances
and therefore is the most important force for the understanding of the large scale structure
and evolution of the 5niverse.
5nification of the <orces of "ature
)lthough the above discussion indicates that the fundamental forces in our present
5niverse are distinct and have very different characteristics, the current thinking in
theoretical physics is that this was not always so. There is a rather strong belief Ealthough
it is yet to be confirmed experimentallyF that in the very early 5niverse when
temperatures were very high compared with today, the weak, electromagnetic, and strong
forces were unified into a single force. Bnly when the temperature dropped did these
forces separate from each other, with the strong force separating first and then at a still
lower temperature the electromagnetic and weak forces separating to leave us with the +
distinct forces that we see in our present 5niverse. The process of the forces separating
from each other is called spontaneous symmetry breaking.
There is further speculation, which is even less firm than that above, that at even higher
temperatures Ethe 4lanck ScaleF all four forces were unified into a single force. Then, as
the temperature dropped, gravitation separated first and then the other ( forces separated
as described above.
"ature of Physical #a!s
Bver the years, one thing scientists have discovered is that nature is generally more
complex than we think. The following laws of physics are considered fundamental, but
many of them refer to idealized, closed systems, which are hard to obtain in the real
world. )lso, some are altered slightly in different circumstances. The laws that "ewton
developed, for example, are modified by the findings of the theory of relativity, but they
are still basically valid in most regular cases.
"ewtonGs Three Haws of !otion*
Sir Isaac "ewton developed the Three Haws of !otion, which describe basic rules about
how the motion of physical ob?ects changes. "ewton was able to define the fundamental
relationship between the acceleration of an ob?ect and the total forces acting upon it.
MHawM of @ravity*
"ewton developed his MHaw of @ravityM to explain the attractive force between a pair of
masses. In the twentieth century, it became clear that this is not the whole story, as
EinsteinGs theory of general relativity has provided a more comprehensive explanation for
the phenomenon of gravity. Still, "ewtonGs law of gravity is an accurate lowAenergy
approximation that works for most of the cases that youGll explore in physics.
%onservation of !assAEnergy*
The total energy in a closed or isolated system is constant, no matter what happens.
)nother law stated that the mass in an isolated system is constant. 6hen Einstein
discovered the relationship ENmc' Ein other words that mass was a manifestation of
energyF the law was said to refer to the conservation of massAenergy. The total of both
mass and energy is retained, although some may change forms. The ultimate example of
this is a nuclear explosion, where mass transforms into energy.
%onservation of !omentum*
The total momentum in a closed or isolated system remains constant. )n alternative of
this is the law of conservation of angular momentum.
Haws of Thermodynamics*
The laws of thermodynamics are actually specific manifestations of the law of
conservation of massAenergy as it relates to thermodynamic processes.
The zeroeth law of thermodynamics makes the notion of temperature possible.
The first law of thermodynamics demonstrates the relationship between internal energy,
added heat, and work within a system.
The second law of thermodynamics relates to the natural flow of heat within a closed
system.
The third law of thermodynamics states that it is impossible to create a thermodynamic
process which is perfectly efficient.
Electrostatic Haws*
%oulombGs law and @aussGs law are formulations of the relationship between electrically
charged particles to create electrostatic force and electrostatic fields. The formulas, it
turns out, parallel the laws of universal gravitation in structure. There also exist similar
laws relating to magnetism and electromagnetism as a whole.
Invariance of the Speed of Hight*
EinsteinGs ma?or insight, which led him to the Theory of 1elativity, was the realization
that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and is not measured differently for
observers in different inertial frames of reference, unlike all other forms of motion. Some
theoretical physicists have con?ectured different variable speed of light E=SHF
possibilities, but these are highly speculative. !ost physicists believe that Einstein was
right and the speed of light is constant.
!odern 4hysics O 4hysical Haws*
In the realm of relativity and ,uantum mechanics, scientists have found that these laws
still apply, although their interpretation re,uires some refinement to be applied, resulting
in fields such as ,uantum electronics and ,uantum gravity. %are should be taken in
applying them in these situations.