Strengthening Your Conscious Self © 2022
Introduction to Physics
IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
Why do I need to learn Physics?
What is physics? Why is it important to have a basic understanding of physics?
Physics is the study of matter and energy, and how they interact with each other. It’s important to have a basic understanding of physics because it helps you understand how things work in our world. This brief introductory physics course can help you gain a deeper understanding of how things work in everyday life, such as why you can’t seem to get all your work done on time or why your favorite sports team keeps losing games. This knowledge can also help you in understanding other fields like medicine or engineering.
We need physics to explain why things happen in nature and also how we can use this knowledge for our benefit. For example: Chemistry uses physics to explain why chemicals react with each other; Biology uses physics to explain how cells divide; Engineering uses physics to design bridges, cars and buildings; Physics helps us understand how our universe works such as how planets orbit around stars or how light travels from one place to another (e.g., from the Sun).
The additional optional physics masterclass course will cover many different topics, including mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic structure and quantum theory, thermodynamics, waves and optics, special relativity, nuclear physics, classical field theory (quantum electrodynamics), gravitation, statistical mechanics and thermodynamics (statistical mechanics), and statistical mechanics (statistics).
Think about all of the technological devices that you use on a regular basis. Computers, wireless internet, smart phones, tablets, global positioning system (GPS), MP3 players, and satellite radio might come to mind. Next, think about the most exciting modern technologies that you have heard about in the news, such as trains that levitate above their tracks, invisibility cloaks that bend light around them, and microscopic robots that fight diseased cells in our bodies. All of these groundbreaking advancements rely on the principles of physics.
Physics is a branch of science. The word science comes from a Latin word that means having knowledge, and refers to the knowledge of how the physical world operates, based on objective evidence determined through observation and experimentation. A key requirement of any scientific explanation of a natural phenomenon is that it must be testable; one must be able to devise and conduct an experimental investigation that either supports or refutes the explanation. It is important to note that some questions fall outside the realm of science precisely because they deal with phenomena that are not scientifically testable. This need for objective evidence helps define the investigative process scientists follow.
Physics is the science aimed at describing the fundamental aspects of our universe. This includes what things are in it, what properties of those things are noticeable, and what processes those things or their properties undergo. In simpler terms, physics attempts to describe the basic mechanisms that make our universe behave the way it does. For example, consider a smart phone. Physics describes how electric current interacts with the various circuits inside the device. This knowledge helps engineers select the appropriate materials and circuit layout when building the smart phone. Next, consider a GPS. Physics describes the relationship between the speed of an object, the distance over which it travels, and the time it takes to travel that distance. When you use a GPS device in a vehicle, it utilizes these physics relationships to determine the travel time from one location to another.
As our technology evolved over the centuries, physics expanded into many branches. Ancient peoples could only study things that they could see with the naked eye or otherwise experience without the aid of scientific equipment. This included the study of kinematics, which is the study of moving objects. For example, ancient people often studied the apparent motion of objects in the sky, such as the sun, moon, and stars. This is evident in the construction of prehistoric astronomical observatories, such as Stonehenge in England.
The intro course and master class are based on https://openstax.org textbooks written at a High School educational level. College level textbooks are available at https://openstax.org