Branches of Physics

Study Notes

Mechanics: study of motion, forces, and energy
Thermodynamics: study of heat, temperature, and energy transfer
Electromagnetism: study of electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves
Optics: study of light, its properties, and behavior
Quantum Mechanics: study of atomic and subatomic particles, wave-particle duality
Relativity: study of space and time, including special relativity and general relativity

Space and Time: three dimensions of space (length, width, height) and one dimension of time
Matter and Energy: matter is anything that has mass and takes up space, energy is the ability to do work
Forces: pushes or pulls that cause objects to change their motion
- Gravity: force of attraction between objects with mass
- Friction: force that opposes motion between two surfaces
- Normal Force: force exerted by a surface on an object
Motion: change in position of an object over time
- Displacement: change in position of an object from its initial to final position
- Velocity: rate of change of displacement with respect to time
- Acceleration: rate of change of velocity with respect to time
Energy: ability to do work
- Kinetic Energy: energy of motion
- Potential Energy: energy of position or stored energy
- Conservation of Energy: energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another

Newton's Laws of Motion:
1. First Law: an object at rest will remain at rest, an object in motion will continue to move with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force
2. Second Law: force is equal to the mass of an object multiplied by its acceleration
3. Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
Law of Universal Gravitation: every point mass attracts every other point mass with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
Conservation of Momentum: total momentum of a closed system remains constant over time

Mechanics: studies motion, forces, and energy
Thermodynamics: studies heat, temperature, and energy transfer
Electromagnetism: studies electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves
Optics: studies light, its properties, and behavior
Quantum Mechanics: studies atomic and subatomic particles, wave-particle duality
Relativity: studies space and time, including special relativity and general relativity

Displacement: change in position of an object from its initial to final position
Velocity: rate of change of displacement with respect to time
Acceleration: rate of change of velocity with respect to time

Kinetic Energy: energy of motion
Potential Energy: energy of position or stored energy
Conservation of Energy: energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another

First Law: an object at rest will remain at rest, an object in motion will continue to move with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force
Second Law: force is equal to the mass of an object multiplied by its acceleration
Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

Every point mass attracts every other point mass with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them