Physics Definition and 988 Threads

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.

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  1. titasdasplus

    I Does a component of a vector have components?

    Since component of a vector is a vector, the component should have component. Is it true? If yes,how?If no,why?
  2. robertphy

    Worksheets for Physics Experiments with Smartphones

    Hi, I would like to introduce my HS students to simple Physics Experiments and the Method therein, using tools like https://www.vieyrasoftware.net/copy-of-lessons Unfortunately, not all of the experiments listed there have usable worksheets. One question: do you have any available and are you...
  3. Nesrine24

    Physics Teacher

    I am Nesrine. I am an electrical engineer holding M.sc. in control engineering and working in IT industry for about 25 years. I started teaching physics foro IGCSE 4 years ago and I want to know more about teaching physics. I am palnning to lecturer undergraduate students. I use academic books...
  4. A. Neumaier

    A Tumulka on Bohmian QED

    Roderich Tumulka (a long-time Bohmian) demonstrates in his newest preprint, R. Tumulka, A Vision for a Bohm-Style Theory of Quantum Electrodynamics, arXiv:2409.07784. that for the interpretation QED, the Bohmian interpretation has nothing to offer (apart from speculation called vision), and...
  5. phinds

    Completed Steven Weinberg The First Three Minutes

    Here's one that is very easy to find and that I definitely recommend. Steven Weinberg, The First Three Minutes. (paperback) Amazon $31.19, I'm asking $15 with free shipping at media rate ($10 plus shipping if shipping is less than $5)...
  6. redflactober

    Physics [Nuclear Experiment vs Nuclear Theory] [National Lab/General Outlook]

    Hello all, I have a question for those with knowledge of Nuclear Physics career outlook. I am at a point where I need to decide soon. I know I want to go to grad school, I know I want to study Nuclear Physics, but I'm a little torn between which method of study to undergo. I would not mind...
  7. Greg Bernhardt

    Giveaway A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking

    My wife read a bit of this book and lost interest :cry:. The condition is excellent, hardly used, and it looks new, with no creased pages. I'm willing to give this away to someone in North America who hasn't read this all-time classic yet.
  8. litelboi

    Rope tension problem: Mass hanging from a rope tied at an angle

    Please Help Me With This! I have tried so many different ways to answer it but I just cannot seem to find the right solution to get T1 and T2 for this.
  9. litelboi

    Hi! I am a CS student who wants to get some help for my physics tasks

    Please be nice! I am new to forums in general XD
  10. Celestibus

    I want to start Tutoring Online -- Looking for Advice

    Hi, i am a physics graduate from greece and i am trying to think of ways to laverage my knowledge amd skills online. I am specifically trying to find a way to upload mini courses online for people to buy and make some income this way. Do you have any advice on how i should start and do you have...
  11. Tomwh98

    B Nalini Joshi's Time Travel Ideas

    Hi everyone I'm a mild physics enthusiast but I wonder if people thought time travel was technically possible? And if Nalini's thoughts were sound on a scientific basis.
  12. G

    Hello world!

    HI all! New here, have tons of questions about physics :)
  13. D

    Aging retired programmer jumping back into physics

    I am a retired programmer 1980 to 2012, renovating old houses in Goderich Ontario Canada, which is 40 kilometers south of the Bruce Nuclear Facility, 6,600 megawatts on Lake Huron, also in the midst of hundreds if not thousands of wind turbines. I am a climate change believer and wish to...
  14. M

    Independent researcher

    Hi everyone. I've had an avid interest in several fields of physics all my adult life, now 79. (Long retired as a psychologist.) My fields of interest include cosmology, astrophysics, relativity theory, quantum physics and philosophy of science applied to physics. I look forward to participation...
  15. M

    Conservation of String Exercise

    I'm not quite sure how to apply conservation of string to this problem, so guidance would be appreciated. Normally as long as there isn't a "sub-pulley" I can do the problem fairly easily but this one tricks me up. Thanks
  16. Yingyang

    Hello Everyone!!!

    I'm just google about my curious questions about physics, and then I got here. I'm keen on doing physics problems and other related fields. Hope this place will give me a memorable experience.
  17. S

    Schools Is a top physics grad school possible with a lower tier undergrad?

    I am a senior living in New York state getting ready to submit my college applications. Colleges I Have Looked At: RPI, UoR, RIT, Clarkson, WPI, Stony Brook, and Binghamton My stats: 3/309 in my class 99% unweighted gpa 1440 SAT (790 Math, 650 Reading) (This score is likely to improve (I...
  18. JRouse

    Excited to be here

    Physics is amazing and excited to be in a community of seekers.
  19. R

    Admissions Big Dilemma - Do I have any chance to study a MSc Physics in Canada?

    Hello, everyone! I hope you have a great day. I'm from Colombia, and I'm currently in my last year of a Bachelor of Science in Physics with an AGPA of 4.3/5 (Colombian Scale) and 3.6/4.0 (converted using Scholaro). I'm from a top university in Colombia, but we're ranked in the top 2000 on the...
  20. A

    Physics is one of my favorite subjects

    I have gone through this platform and I believe this platform will enhance my learning about physics
  21. DriftyPrime

    Other Should I study physics in Malaysia and then do post-graduate abroad?

    I'm Malaysian, and I'm definitely going to study physics. The thing that I'm worried about is that I do now know if I should do my bachelor's in Malaysia then go overseas, or should I just go overseas? I've asked my relatives about it, and they say that my bachelor's is very important and...
  22. K

    Other Should I pursue a degree in physics?

    I am at a crossroads in my life. After graduating high school, I went into the ministry. I had no plans to continue my education, and I was content with my perfect little Christian-centered world. Eventually, my faith was shattered and I came to the realization that my entire worldview for the...
  23. robphy

    RIP Edward "Joe" Redish (1942 - 2024), Physics Education

    https://www.umdphysics.umd.edu/about-us/news/department-news/1968-redish-2.html https://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/Edward-F-Joe-Redish.cfm Teaching Physics With the Physics Suite https://www.physics.umd.edu/~redish/Book/ Univ. of Maryland - Physics Education Research Group...
  24. S

    Hello there

    Hello everyone, just serving up a quick introduction. I took some physics and math classes during, I believe, the Eisenhower administration (anything before 2000 is hazy). Nevertheless, due to a lack of scientific acumen, I will be a taker, not a giver, on these forums. Here's to a second...
  25. Edsel

    I Used to be Pretty Good in High School and Collegiate Physics…

    …but then I dumbed down in later life :sorry: Here’s to hoping this visit would change that :woot:
  26. JKuo37

    Classical Principles of Physics by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker

    What's the difference in content between the two textbooks? International Adaptation and local edition Principles of Physics: Extended, 12th Edition Principles of Physics: Extended, International Adaptation, 12th Edition
  27. R

    New Member

    retired physicist.
  28. WMDhamnekar

    Can I post Operations research problems in Physics Forum?

    Can I post Operations research problems in Physics Forum? If yes, where, can I post it?
  29. damarkk

    Hello to everyone!

    Hello to everyone. I'm an undergraduate physics student and a private teacher.
  30. rhunllama

    Hello everyone!

    Came to know about physicsforum by mistake . One of the best ones I made. I was suffering in undergrad. Will hopefully suffer less now onwards.
  31. B

    Textbook 'The Physics of Waves': Varying Force Amplitude

    Reference textbook “The Physics of Waves” in MIT website: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/8-03sc-...es-fall-2016/resources/mit8_03scf16_textbook/ Chapter 2 - Problem 2.3 [Page 52] (see screen capture below) Question: In Problem 2.3, I have proved the hint equation, and it leads to the complex...
  32. no_onepotter

    Physics Experimental or Theoretical Physics in my PhD?

    Hi, I start my PhD education, actually offically it was one and a half month. And ı didn't decide to choose to experiment or theoric. Maybe, if you know or study this field,help me to decide. What is this two field advantages in STEM? If ı choose theoric, ı can find a job? Thanks for your answer...
  33. R

    Struggling with Physics Concepts in Engineering Studies?

    Hi everyone! I finally decided to go down the path of getting my engineering degree. I never had physics at school so I have to do a uni ready program and catch up on most of the course in my own time. Ive been quietly reading here for a while and it's actually been very interesting to start...
  34. fuzzie

    Who is the New Physics and Engineering Enthusiast on PF?

    I'm a physics and engineering enthusiast! I really love the format of this forum
  35. gohu

    Can I Enjoy Physics and Math Videos Without Practical Knowledge?

    hi, i love watching videos about physics and mathematics, but i have no practical knowledge, i could not make the calculations or predictions for anything ;)
  36. A

    Physics Graduate Preparing for Qualifiers?

    Hi I am a Physics Graduate and I have qualifiers coming up. Looking forward to sharing valuable info and to learn from this platform.
  37. Frabjous

    Grow to High Energy, Nuclear and Mayonnaise, Particle Physics subforum

    PF should keep up with the times https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/nuclear-energy/physicists-solve-nuclear-fusion-mystery-with-mayonnaise :wink:
  38. RodionGork

    Electronics teacher, now working on website with physics exercises

    Hi Friends and Colleagues! It so happened I give classes of electronics in certain local school (which itself is physics-oriented) - as a hobby, once a week, perhaps more than 15 years already. Meanwhile by occupation I'm a meek programmer and years ago I created some programming-puzzles...
  39. J

    Master in Physics from Buenos Aires University

    Suppose that Bob and Alice decides to do a quantum experiment, more precisely, The Shroedinger Cat Experiment. Alice goes to the Andromeda Galaxy, and wait for Bob’s results. According with the MWI, the wave function never collapses, suppose that in one world Bob found the cat alive, in the...
  40. Antoha1

    Hello, a student looking for help

    Hi, I am 10th grade student from Lithuania and I am really interested in physics. Studying further course on my own, but the problem is that I do not have a teacher or helper to ask questions. Hoping to find help here!
  41. robphy

    RIP Tsung-Dao Lee (1926-2024), Nobel 1957

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/science/tsung-dao-lee-dead.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsung-Dao_Lee https://president.columbia.edu/news/president-shafiks-statement-passing-tsung-dao-lee https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1957/lee/facts/ (T.D. Lee was 30 years old.)...
  42. Q

    Hello! Physics + science based fictional magic is interesting to me!

    Hello! I joined because I am interested in how physics would intertwine with science based magical systems in books. I'm looking forward to learning a lot of new things and seeing how they would work with each other.
  43. Xuedong He

    What Does a Laser Engineer Do?

    Hello I am a laser engineer interested in Physics.
  44. PotatoMan

    What Are the Latest Insights in Quantum Physics?

    Recently I’ve been learning more about quantum physics, and Physics Forums has had a lot of good answers to questions I had. I’m looking forward to learning even more, and asking questions that I’ve beenconfused about.
  45. Cilda

    Physics Graduating with 2:2 in Physics. What can I do? (Ireland)

    As the title says, I've found out I've achieved a 2:2 (50%-59% average), and am now considering my options. I've read a lot online about this grade and see too many mixed opinions so I thought I could make a post and see what everyone here thinks. Firstly I would like to state that I would...
  46. B

    How Can I Succeed in Physics and Prepare for Nuclear Engineering?

    Hi! I'm a current high school senior and I'm taking two physics classes this year on top of other math/science courses. I'm starting my college applications and wanting to study nuclear engineering. I'm on here to find help with my courses as well as advice for my future!
  47. P

    New to Physics and Joining a Community?

    Hello everybody! I have no tertiary physics training but have developed a rather late interest in physics. Never too late to learn, as they say. Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for being part of your community! Luk
  48. Malemsana

    B What if we use a non physical reference point to measure an object's mass?

    Concider a planet A, which is a planet just same as earth (for familiarity). When we try to mesure it's total mass (rest + relativistic mass), we have to mesure it from some reference. (Because motion is relative) Let's put reference point as planet B which is moving away from planet A at a...
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