Physics Core Concepts

• Physics is a natural science studying matter, its constituents, motion, behavior through space/time, and related entities of energy and force.
• Physics is a fundamental scientific discipline with the goal of understanding the behavior of the universe.

Core Concepts

• Mechanics: Studies motion and forces.
• Includes kinematics (motion description) and dynamics (motion causes).
• Thermodynamics: Studies heat, work, and energy.
• Governs energy transfer and transformations.
• Electromagnetism: Studies interactions between electric charges and magnetic moments.
• Includes electrostatics, electrodynamics, and magnetostatics.
• Optics: Studies the behavior/properties of light.
• Explores reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference.
• Quantum Mechanics: Focuses on matter/energy behavior at atomic/subatomic levels.
• Introduces wave-particle duality and quantum entanglement.
• Relativity: Includes special and general relativity.
• Special relativity concerns the relationship between space and time.
• General relativity concerns gravity as spacetime curvature.

Key Principles and Laws

• Newton's Laws of Motion: Describe the relationship between an object, forces, and motion in three laws.
• First Law (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by a force.
• Second Law: Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).
• Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• Laws of Thermodynamics: Govern the behavior of energy and entropy in thermodynamic systems.
• First Law: Energy is conserved.
• Second Law: The entropy of an isolated system tends to increase.
• Third Law: Entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero.
• Maxwell's Equations: Four equations describe electric and magnetic fields' behavior.
• Gauss's Law for Electricity.
• Gauss's Law for Magnetism.
• Faraday's Law of Induction.
• Ampère-Maxwell's Law.
• Law of Universal Gravitation: Describes the gravitational force between two objects with mass.
• Force is proportional to the product of masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
• Conservation Laws: State that certain physical properties remain constant over time.
• These include the conservation of energy, momentum, angular momentum, and electric charge.

Fundamental Units

• Length: Meter (m)
• Mass: Kilogram (kg)
• Time: Second (s)
• Electric Current: Ampere (A)
• Temperature: Kelvin (K)
• Amount of Substance: Mole (mol)
• Luminous Intensity: Candela (cd)

Important Concepts

• Energy: The ability to do work.
• Exists in kinetic, potential, thermal, and electromagnetic forms.
• Momentum: A measure of mass in motion.
• Defined as the product of mass and velocity.
• Force: An interaction that changes an object's motion.
• Measured in newtons (N).
• Work: Energy transferred when a force causes displacement.
• Measured in joules (J).
• Power: Rate at which work is done.
• Measured in watts (W).
• Waves: Disturbances that transfer energy through a medium or space.
• Characterized by wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.
• Fields: Regions where a force is exerted on a specific particle.
• Examples: gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields.

Branches of Physics

• Classical Mechanics: Studies motion of macroscopic objects under forces.
• Statistical Mechanics: Applies statistics to particle assemblies to predict macroscopic behavior.
• Particle Physics: Studies fundamental constituents of matter/interactions.
• Nuclear Physics: Focuses on atomic nuclei structure, properties, and reactions.
• Condensed Matter Physics: Explores physical properties of matter in condensed phases.

Experimental Methods

• Observation: Gathering data by observing physical phenomena.
• Measurement: Quantifying physical quantities using instruments.
• Experimentation: Testing hypotheses through controlled experiments.
• Data Analysis: Analyzing experimental data using statistical/mathematical methods.
• Modeling: Creating theoretical models to explain and predict physical phenomena.