What is Physics: Definition and 995 Discussions

Physics (from Ancient Greek: φυσική (ἐπιστήμη), romanized: physikḗ (epistḗmē), lit. 'knowledge of nature', from φύσις phýsis 'nature') is the natural science that studies matter, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. Physics is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines, and its main goal is to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines and, through its inclusion of astronomy, perhaps the oldest. Over much of the past two millennia, physics, chemistry, biology, and certain branches of mathematics were a part of natural philosophy, but during the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century these natural sciences emerged as unique research endeavors in their own right. Physics intersects with many interdisciplinary areas of research, such as biophysics and quantum chemistry, and the boundaries of physics are not rigidly defined. New ideas in physics often explain the fundamental mechanisms studied by other sciences and suggest new avenues of research in academic disciplines such as mathematics and philosophy.
Advances in physics often enable advances in new technologies. For example, advances in the understanding of electromagnetism, solid-state physics, and nuclear physics led directly to the development of new products that have dramatically transformed modern-day society, such as television, computers, domestic appliances, and nuclear weapons; advances in thermodynamics led to the development of industrialization; and advances in mechanics inspired the development of calculus.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. Akhum

    "New Member Interested in Physics"

    "I'm excited to join this community and share my passion for physics. In this post, I'll provide a brief introduction to myself, my background in physics, and my areas of interest. I'll also include any relevant supporting material or experiences to enrich the discussion."
  2. T

    Studying Academic Redemption: Bouncing Back After a Year Off Track

    Hello everyone, I'd like to share with you my current situation and my desire to redeem myself after a year off track due to a lack of interest in physics. I am aware of my past mistakes, but now I am determined to recover and dedicate myself seriously to my studies. Last year, I struggled...
  3. Somoth Ergai

    Hello everyone

    Amateur physics enthusiast. I watch a lot of physics explanation videos and one made me think of something. which would later become a paradox that i can't find any other examples of. So if that's the case I feel cool if I came up with one no one has considered before. That being said I know...
  4. Somoth Ergai

    I New Paradox Discovered, I Think

    User New here but this conundrum is something that occurred to me as I was watching a physics video and I have run out of ways to ask about this. So here I am. Ok first principle. the setup. let's say we have invented a perfect telescope on earth. such that we can resolve any object no matter...
  5. edo

    very good forum

    I'm just a physics lover
  6. L

    Hello everyone!

    I've come here to ask any future questions I have regarding physics, mathematics or engineering. Thank you very much.
  7. Spaceuser

    2nd BSc or MSc in physics for physics-PhD in top program in USA

    TL;DR Summary: In summary. I have BSc in Chemistry with honours and want to make research in more theoritical physics oriented field. I don't afraid the studies and the hours needed but I want opinions for the best possible option (MSc or 2nd BSc), in terms of usefulness for my PhD application...
  8. D

    hello Physicists

    I am a physics teacher who is constantly seeking to widen the knowledge of physics .
  9. J

    Hi everybody

    Hi I am an aircraft maintenance engineer reading about Aviation ,space and physics ( very amateurish level) are my hobbies
  10. M

    Hello, biophysics student here

    Hello all! I'm a physics student, planning to apply for a biophysics PhD program once I finish my undergrad. My main topics of interest are neuroscience and microbial communities. Originally I was just in physics because I liked the approach, but statistical mechanics showed just how...
  11. femaleinstemneedhelp

    Light Dispersion Problems

    1 exercise: The light at that point will diminish. Explanation: Since the waves are coherent, their phase difference depends on the difference in distance travelled. A path difference of 2 µm is equal to 5 wavelengths (λ = 400 nm). When the phase difference of the waves is 5λ, they are in...
  12. Username34

    Is a thrusting motion more powerful/deadly than a swinging one?

    Is the physics down below sound? I always thought the highest momentum is the most powerful. "Biomechanically, humans are REALLY good at throwing things and quite good at swinging as well. When it comes to thrusting we are good, but not as much.But the larger portion probably comes down to pure...
  13. T

    Engineering Stone dropped from an ascending balloon takes 10s to hit the ground -- Find the height of the balloon

    ay = -9.8. Vy = -9.8 + v0*Sin0. y = -4.9*t^2 + v0*t*Sin0. By using formula of y, my solution was -4.9(10s)^2 + (10m/s)(10s)Sin0. I assumed that y was equal to 0. Since -4.9 is m/s^2 the answer would be -490m + 100m*Sin0. Therefore I assumeed Sin0 = 490/100.
  14. Priyo137

    Seeking a platform to discuss physics

    As a physics enthusiast high-school student, I often run into troubles engaging with physics problems. In PF, I am going to seek a place for physics discussions. Thanks.
  15. madladkaiser

    New Member, I look forward to contributing and your kind cooperation

    Hello there, fellow physics enthusiasts, I am a mechanical engineer looking forward to pursuing physics academically. I am interested in gaining knowledge from this forum and connecting with students and scientists. Have a nice day, Madladkaiser
  16. physics_student01

    New member here, please be patient with me 😅

    Hi all, New PF member. Currently a sophomore Physics student. I encounter niggling conceptual difficulties in this journey. I was referred to this site by my senior, that the people/mentors here are very kind and would help me navigate this journey provided I am ready to grind & wrestle with...
  17. shmwot

    hello besties

    Hey! I'm currently an undergrad student, gonna be switching majors/ starting fresh with physics next year(which is something I've always wanted to do) Also I'm turning 18 on may 12th this year wish me lol Glad to be here. Hoping to make really cool friends and contribute in a good bunch of...
  18. T

    vth

    Hello, my name is Varian Harrison. I joined this website in order to have more understanding about physics.
  19. User849483

    New student!

    Hello, I needed help with a physics problem and I found this forum. I hope someone can help me with my problem.
  20. Akkiron00

    My Introduction

    I've always been fascinated by physics but never had the opportunity to pursue it academically. That's why I'm here—to clarify the physics-related doubts and questions that have always intrigued me.
  21. D

    B Roulette wheel physics and probability

    Hi all, I've been a roulette player for more than 10 years (although I took time off here and there) and it's only now that I'm trying to understand the physics of the game. Basically my strategy in roulette is to divide the wheel roughly into two halves (let's call them A and B). My theory is...
  22. Gary Venter

    New member: Stat Modeler Learning Physics

    I studied foundations of mathematics from mathematical and philosophical angles in grad school but then went on to a career of building and testing statistical risk models. The guiding philosophy there, which I call Boxian Skepticism, derives from a quote of George Box: "All models are wrong but...
  23. jzz

    Hello physics forums

    I like the structured approach PF uses in the explanation and study of physics.
  24. D

    Hello from Australia

    Hey all, I am a longtime roulette player in Australia and have become curious about the physics involved in roulette, so I googled it and found this forum. I saw some threads on the topic so thought I'd join!
  25. S

    Application to PhD in Physics in the USA

    Hello everyone! I did my BSc in Electrical Engineering and MSc in Communicative Electronics (Specialty- Electronic Engineering). I have one paper publication in IEEE. However, I have low GPAs in both BSc and MSc (around 2.5 on a scale of 4). Will it be possible for me to get a PhD in Physics or...
  26. J

    Deriving a mathematical model for a stick falling over

    this is how far i have come with my model, i am trying to first the most simple model, meaning no friction involved and then testing that against an actual stick falling by using tracking software. I am currently stuck as my model still has an acceleration in the y direction that i cannot seem...
  27. PavithraSelvaraj

    Ended up here because of my friction with physics

    How did you find PF?: Via a google search Hey all! I am a student from India. I want to intuitively discover and understand physics concepts. I have had my rock bottom moments with it, hated it, got curious, tried to learn more, and the loop continues. I ended up here, because of a google...
  28. ateixeira

    What Makes a Good Scientist?

    I finished my degree in 2007, drifted away into management consulting and the financial world. Now in 2024 I decided to return and do a PhD in particle physics (lattice QCD and mesonic physics to be more exact.) Hence I defined a study plan to get me into basic shape until September. Besides...
  29. J

    Semi-retired chemistry and physics teacher

    I volunteer in my wife's intro to chem and physics class and her design workshop class at the local high school. I integrate PASCO and Vernier probeware, and help with other experimental design problems, as well as working one on one with students. Both classes are primarily project oriented.
  30. E

    Programs Trying to decide what program to study (physics or engineering)

    I am passionate about physics and math and science, you've heard the story a million times. I don't know whether I should study in physics or engineering. I find the concept of Engineering Physics really cool. I've heard it still gives you the opportunity to go study graduate physics? (Lets...
  31. mister i

    B Exploring the equivalences between mass, time and length

    We know that in the universe we can establish an equivalence between length and time through a constant (the speed of light): l = ct and talk about length in units of time (light-years). But, by playing mathematically with the dimensions of M, L and T and the constants G and c we can see...
  32. jedishrfu

    New Insight into the Chemistry of Solvents

    https://www.newsweek.com/basic-principle-physics-wrong-oxford-university-scientists-say-1874984
  33. Ubermeganerd

    Long time high school physics teacher, just joined forum

    I've been lurking on this site for over a decade (especially when my high school students ask me a particularly obscure physics-related question), so it's high time that I finally joined. I've teach in Pitt Meadows, BC, Canada, and I've been teaching for 25 years and counting. I love teaching...
  34. B

    Introducing myself

    Hello, I'm Bertram and I'm in my last year of school and I would like to study physics, I really like particle physics from what I know. I'm here to connect to other scientists or students, but also to learn more about the subject, common problems and the way of precise articulating. Have a nice...
  35. RandomGuy055

    A high school student who thought he could handle a Physics H class.

    Nice to meet you all. This year I've realized that I have a very poor understanding of physics because anytime a problem is explained to me, it just goes out the other ear. My physics teacher is an old German man with a demon in his soul, but his class is one of my favorites and is probably the...
  36. yaman

    Why is the Heat equation solved with separation of variables but not with Fourier transformations?

    How did you find PF?: Years ago online forums were more visible. These days they are left behind social media. I searched Google and now I am here. Why in heat transfer books Fourier's partial differtial unsteady state heat transfer equation is solved with seperation of variables but not with...
  37. gmason85

    Thermal Paint Skeptic

    Hi all, Mechanical engineer by education; soon to have a MPhil in Architecture. Building Scientist/ Energy Efficiency consultant by trade. I have a decent physics background, but not an expert around the subject of radiative heat transfer. My posts will likely involve confirming bs from...
  38. H

    Derive Lorentz transformations in perturbation theory

    I've arrived to an expected answer, but I am not sure at all that the process was what the problem statement wants. First, I considered ##0=(t+\delta t)^2-(x+vt)^2-(t^2-x^2) \approx 2t \delta t - 2xvt - v^2t^2##. Ignoring ##O(v^2)## gives ##\delta t=vx##, i.e., ##t \rightarrow t+vx##. Keeping...
  39. Physics_nya

    Hello

    Hello everyone, my name is Physics-nya (which is a combination of "physics" and "the sound a cat makes" ), because I was attracted by the famous thought experiment "Schrodinger's cat" and has made up my mind to learn physics at an early age. I am now a senior high school student of grade 12 in...
  40. T

    What is the importance of spreadsheet modelling in Physics?

    Hello. I am a Physics teacher currently in Kathmandu. I am experienced in Edexcel IAL and in the past CIE and IB DP. I think a lot about the meanings of numbers, but have poor math skills in terms of calculus but am strong at spreadsheet modelling.
  41. Tommolo

    Online advanced physics and cosmology courses

    Hi! I'm new here! Let me introduce myself! I am Thomas and I have always been interested in science, cosmology and physics. Anyway, I have an equally strong passion for arts and humanities, and after all I decided to form myself as a journalist, which is my daily job. After years and years, I...
  42. B

    Misc. Airflow calculations for levitating a foam golf ball

    Im trying to find someone or a company who can do some calculations for me. I started with a fluid dynamics modeling company and they felt I would need a physics calculation. I need to a foam golf ball to be picked up by a column of air and held in place at aprox 10” until it is knocked off the...
  43. giodude

    Mass hanging on a steel wire

    Hi, I solved part (a) and will provide my solution below. However, I've been working on part (b) for quite a bit and reviewed the provided, relevant text a few times now but haven't been able to find what I'm missing: Solution (a): Using ##A = \frac{\pi \times d^{2}}{4}##, ##k =...
  44. R

    Rudin

    Hello everyone! I am a returned student after 15 years of being out of school. Physics is very challenging for me, especially taking it in a different language. I like this forum because the instructors here don't just give the answers to the problems students ask, but they help the students...
  45. A

    New member

    hello! I'm currently in an Intro to physics class, and I'm not the most physically inclined. I look forward to learning from you all!
  46. warisulimam

    Hello, I'm a Physics Major

    Hi there! My name's Waris and I'll be starting a physics degree in a few months. I've been independently studying undergrad material for about three years. I was out of practice for a while because of some issues at high school but I'm working to get back on track. I would love to participate...
  47. V

    B The longer path is faster?

    It's just a link, Unreal? [Mentor note: The thread title has been edited to be a bit more specific]
  48. K

    Hi..

    Hi, I'm a new member, interested in physics and relativity and new ways to think about our world. Cheers Chris
  49. R

    In the contact zone between geology and physics...

    My name is Ron Werner, Dutchman, living/working in Norway since 1992. My main interest is geology and I have worked for several museums and mineral-dealers during my life. Since 2000 I have worked for the Evje og Hornnes geomuseum Fennefoss in Evje, in the south of Norway. It is a small museum...
Back
Top