Fundamentals of Physics - E-book - ePub

The scientific study of energy and matter and the process ofinteraction with each other is known as physics. The energycould be gravity, light, motion, radiation or electricity as matterof fact it could be anything from the universe. It studies matterand could be anything from sub-particles (the particles whichmake up an atom and the particles which further make thoseparticles) to galaxy or stars.
Physics aims in understanding theuniversal behaviour. Physics can be dated to thousands of years; it is the oldestacademic disciplines. Earlier physics had always been a part ofbiology, chemistry, natural philosophy and even in somebranches of mathematics. Since the revolution of the 17thcentury, natural sciences came out as a separate researchprogram. Physics intercedes with many interdisciplinaryresearches that are not strictly defined.
Physics often gives riseto many new ideas which at times explain the fundamentalmechanism of sciences other than physics and opening up newpossibilities of study in fields like philosophy and mathematics. Physics plays a vital role in the offerings through developmentsin new technologies that happen because of hypotheticaldiscoveries. Like, developments while understanding nuclearphysics or electromagnetism showed the way to production ofproducts like computers, television, nuclear weapons, domesticproducts etc.
have helped in bringing about a drastic change intoday's society. Progress in mechanics inspired the growth ofcalculus whereas progress in thermodynamics helped in thegrowth of industrialization. Physics utilizes the scientific methods to formulate and testtheories which are based on the observations of the world. Physics aims on using the outcomes of these experiments toformulate laws of science, which are normally conveyed throughmathematics and then are used in predicting other occurrences.
Some of the main topics in the fundamentals of physics areMechanics, Waves, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, Opticsand Special Relativity. They are the main constituents of physicsand the subject revolves around them.