Scope and excitement of physics

Introduction

Physics is one of the most important branches of science. Science describes how matter works, changes, and forms. It focuses on the tiniest particles in the universe. Physics has a profound impact on our lives every day. 

The scope and excitement of physics in the modern era is defined as its involvement in and spread in modern society. It defines the properties, the changes, and the formation of matter. It is impossible to summarise physics in a single sentence. The subject spans a broad spectrum, and its effects are apparent in everyone’s daily life.

Since physics deals with a variety of situations subject to a variety of quantitative and qualitative experimental conditions, its scope varies. There are two subfields of physics: microscopic (concerns atoms and molecules) and macroscopic (concerns large bodies). 

Microscopic physics

Energy and matter are studied at the microscopic level in modern physics. Today’s physicists believe that matter and energy are interconvertible, which means they are not separate entities. Modern physics has two major fields of study; theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

• Theory of Relativity
• Quantum Mechanics

Albert Einstein proposed the theory of relativity. Through the theory of relativity, Einstein proposed that one can study the moment of inertia, non-inertial particles, and their relationship. 

The study of quantum mechanics involves the movement of subatomic particles. Quantum mechanics studied and identified quantization of energy, uncertainty principle, etc.

Macroscopic physics

Physics at the macroscopic level describes terrestrial and astronomical bodies. Understanding two bodies, how they interact with each other, and what makes them up is possible through this analysis. Within classical physics are distinct disciplines.

• Thermodynamics
• Mechanics
• Optics
• Electrodynamics

Thermodynamics

The branch of physics that deals with the flow of energy between forms and the relationship between heat and temperature with energy and the work done are thermodynamics. To put it another way, thermodynamics is the branch of science that deals with the combined effects of heat and works on the changes of the state of matter as governed by the laws of thermodynamics.

The following four laws govern the phenomena of thermodynamic systems:

Thermodynamic Principles

• The first law of thermodynamics states that when energy moves into or out of a system, its internal energy changes according to the law of conservation of mass
• A system that behaves as one unit will always increase in entropy over time, according to the second law of thermodynamics
• The third law of thermodynamics states that at absolute zero kelvin temperature  entropy of a substance becomes zero
• According to the Zeroth law of thermodynamics, if two bodies are in equilibrium with a separate third body, then the first two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with each other

Understanding the mechanism behind the phase change of matter requires understanding thermodynamic laws.

Thermodynamics deals with the following topics

• Heat engines and refrigerators’ efficiency
• A prediction of the outcome of a physical process or a chemical reaction
• At different temperatures and in different environments, the body behaves differently
• Adding heat and work to a system changes the system’s energy and entropy

Mechanics

The field of mechanics studies the motion of particles, the deformability of bodies, and the rigidity of bodies. It also examines the position and energy of objects. Newton’s laws of motion describe how bodies and forces interact and manipulate their interactions.

Mechanics covers the following topics:

• For propulsion, rockets emit gases
• What impact does the propagation of waves through air or water have?
• A mechanic covers a variety of topics: Newton’s laws of motion provides the foundation for mechanics, where we learn what forces are, how bodies move, and how bodies interact with each other

Optics

A fundamental aspect of the field of optics is light and its reflection and refraction. An optician studies how distant objects are reflected in mirrors and distorted by lenses to produce images. The science of optics explains a variety of fascinating phenomena, including stars twinkling, light scattering, rainbows forming, and the time of sunrises and sunsets.

The study of optics teaches us about

• Exploring the world through telescopes and microscopes
• The formation of images in lenses
• Colours displayed by thin films

Electrodynamics

A study of electrodynamics is concerned with the interaction of charged bodies with magnetic and electric fields.

There are many interesting applications of electrodynamics

• In a current-carrying conductor, there is an electric field and a magnetic field
• Interconversion of direct and alternating currents to conserve electricity
• The functions of an antenna and how it transmits signals
• Atomic radiation in the ionosphere

 Electrodynamics vs. thermodynamics:

Thermodynamics is the study of the conversion of heat into other forms of energy. At the same time, Electrodynamics is the study of moving electric charges and their interaction with electric and magnetic fields.

The Excitement in Physics 

When something excites us, it means we are curious how or what it may be. Some of the advanced technologies used today may be unfamiliar to older generations, such as treadmills, GPS (Global Positioning System), and tele-communication. Those older generations were curious. After learning about the technology, they went on to figure out how it could be applied to their lives. This led to improvements in their lives.

The field of physics has interesting aspects. Some of them are:

• It is possible to devise brilliant devices for human comfort through the application and modification of laws
• Physicists provide explanations for a wide range of natural phenomena
• Nature’s secrets are revealed through new experiments to gain a better understanding of complex theories

It is easier to grasp the scope and excitement of physics. It cannot be limited to this. Physicists are constantly changing and expanding their scope of study to reflect the changing world around them.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned an overview of physics and understand different aspects of it. Basically physics is divided into two parts such as microscopic physics and macroscopic physics. Physics has different branches like optics, mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, etc.