Physics Branches

Branches of Physics

• Mechanics: Study of motion, forces, and energy
  • Kinematics: Description of motion
  • Dynamics: Forces and their effects on motion
• Thermodynamics: Study of heat, temperature, and energy transfer
  • Laws of thermodynamics:
    • Zeroth law: Temperature equilibrium
    • First law: Energy conservation
    • Second law: Entropy increase
    • Third law: Absolute zero
• Electromagnetism: Study of electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves
  • Electric charges and fields
  • Magnetic fields and forces
  • Electromagnetic induction and radiation
• Optics: Study of light, its properties, and behavior
  • Reflection, refraction, and diffraction
  • Lenses and optical instruments
• Quantum Mechanics: Study of atomic and subatomic particles
  • Wave-particle duality
  • Uncertainty principle
  • Schrödinger equation and wave functions
• Relativity: Study of space and time
  • Special relativity: Time dilation and length contraction
  • General relativity: Gravitational field and curvature of spacetime

Key Concepts

• Energy: Ability to do work
  • Types: kinetic, potential, thermal, electrical, and chemical
• Matter: Anything that has mass and occupies space
  • States: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma
• Force: Push or pull that causes motion or deformation
  • Types: gravitational, frictional, normal, and tension
• Waves: Periodic disturbances that transfer energy
  • Types: mechanical, electromagnetic, and quantum

Important Scientists

• Isaac Newton: Developed laws of motion and universal gravitation
• Albert Einstein: Developed theories of special and general relativity
• Marie Curie: Discovered radioactivity and developed theory of radioactive decay
• Niels Bohr: Developed model of atomic structure and quantum mechanics
• Erwin Schrödinger: Developed theory of quantum mechanics and wave functions

Branches of Physics

• Mechanics: Motion, forces, and energy
  • Kinematics: Describes motion in terms of position, velocity, and acceleration
  • Dynamics: Examines forces and their effects on motion, including Newton's laws
• Thermodynamics: Heat, temperature, and energy transfer
  • Zeroth Law: If two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third, they are also in thermal equilibrium with each other
  • First Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted between forms
  • Second Law: Total entropy always increases over time in a closed system
  • Third Law: As temperature approaches absolute zero, entropy approaches a minimum value
• Electromagnetism: Electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves
  • Electric Charges and Fields: Like charges repel, opposite charges attract, and electric fields surround charges
  • Magnetic Fields and Forces: Magnetic fields surround moving charges and currents, and exert forces on other charges and currents
  • Electromagnetic Induction and Radiation: Changing magnetic fields induce electric fields, and accelerating charges emit electromagnetic radiation
• Optics: Light, its properties, and behavior
  • Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction: Light bends and changes direction when interacting with surfaces and media
  • Lenses and Optical Instruments: Lenses focus and manipulate light, enabling devices like microscopes and telescopes
• Quantum Mechanics: Atomic and subatomic particles
  • Wave-Particle Duality: Particles can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior
  • Uncertainty Principle: Certain properties, like position and momentum, cannot be precisely known at the same time
  • Schrödinger Equation and Wave Functions: Mathematical descriptions of quantum systems and their probabilities
• Relativity: Space and time
  • Special Relativity: Time dilation and length contraction occur when objects move at high speeds
  • General Relativity: Gravity warps spacetime, causing objects to move along curved trajectories

Key Concepts

• Energy: The ability to do work, with forms including:
  • Kinetic Energy: Energy of motion
  • Potential Energy: Stored energy, such as gravitational or elastic potential energy
  • Thermal Energy: Energy of heat and temperature
  • Electrical Energy: Energy associated with electric charges and currents
  • Chemical Energy: Energy stored in chemical bonds
• Matter: Anything with mass and occupying space, existing in:
  • Solid State: Fixed shape and volume
  • Liquid State: Fixed volume, variable shape
  • Gas State: Variable shape and volume
  • Plasma State: High-energy, ionized state
• Force: Push or pull that causes motion or deformation, including:
  • Gravitational Force: Attraction between masses
  • Frictional Force: Resistance to motion between surfaces
  • Normal Force: Force perpendicular to a surface, often a reaction force
  • Tension Force: Force along the length of a stretched or compressed object
• Waves: Periodic disturbances that transfer energy, including:
  • Mechanical Waves: Require a medium, such as water or air
  • Electromagnetic Waves: Travel through a vacuum, including light and radio waves
  • Quantum Waves: Mathematical descriptions of probability in quantum systems

Important Scientists

• Isaac Newton: Developed laws of motion and universal gravitation, laying foundations for classical mechanics
• Albert Einstein: Developed theories of special and general relativity, revolutionizing understanding of space and time
• Marie Curie: Discovered radioactivity and developed theory of radioactive decay, pioneering radiochemistry
• Niels Bohr: Developed model of atomic structure and quantum mechanics, contributing to understanding of atomic behavior
• Erwin Schrödinger: Developed theory of quantum mechanics and wave functions, providing a mathematical framework for quantum systems