Outline of physics

See also: Index of physics articles

Physics (Greek: physis – φύσις meaning "nature") is a natural science pertaining to the study of matter^[1] and its motion through spacetime and all that derives from these, such as energy and force.^[2] More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the world and universe behave.^[3][4]

Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines, or perhaps the oldest through its inclusion of astronomy.^[5] Over the last two millennia, physics had been considered synonymous with philosophy, chemistry, and certain branches of mathematics and biology, but during the Scientific Revolution in the 16th century, it emerged to become a unique modern science in its own right.^[6] However, in some subject areas such as in mathematical physics and quantum chemistry, the boundaries of physics remain difficult to distinguish.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to physics:

Overview

Main article: Physics

Physics started with a philosophical commitment to simplicity. It should not be considered a difficult subject (although it is deep); one can learn classical physics on a playground, which describes the motion of balls, swings, slides and merry-go-rounds.

Note: the Theory column below contains links to articles with infoboxes at the top of their respective pages which list the major concepts.

Theory	Major subtopics	Concepts
Classical mechanics	Newton's laws of motion, Lagrangian mechanics, Hamiltonian mechanics, Kinematics, Statics, Dynamics, Chaos theory, Acoustics, Fluid dynamics, Continuum mechanics	Density, Dimension, Gravity, Space, Time, Motion, Length, Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Mass, Momentum, Force, Energy, Angular momentum, Torque, Conservation law, Harmonic oscillator, Wave, Work, Power
Electromagnetism	Electrostatics, Electrodynamics, Electricity, Magnetism, Maxwell's equations, Optics	Capacitance, Electric charge, Electric current, Electrical conductivity, Electric field, Electric permittivity, Electrical resistance, Electromagnetic field, Electromagnetic induction, Electromagnetic radiation, Gaussian surface, Magnetic field, Magnetic flux, Magnetic monopole, Magnetic permeability
Theory of relativity	Special relativity, General relativity, Einstein field equations	Covariance, Einstein manifold, Equivalence principle, Four-momentum, Four-vector, General principle of relativity, Geodesic motion, Gravity, Gravitoelectromagnetism, Inertial frame of reference, Invariance, Length contraction, Lorentzian manifold, Lorentz transformation, Metric, Minkowski diagram, Minkowski space, Principle of Relativity, Proper length, Proper time, Reference frame, Rest energy, Rest mass, Relativity of simultaneity, Spacetime, Special principle of relativity, Speed of light, Stress-energy tensor, Time dilation, Twin paradox, World line
Thermodynamics and Statistical mechanics	Heat engine, Kinetic theory	Boltzmann's constant, Conjugate variables, Enthalpy, Entropy, Equation of state, Equipartition theorem, First Law of Thermodynamics, Free energy, Heat, Ideal gas law, Internal energy, Irreversible process, Partition function, Pressure, Reversible process, Second Law of Thermodynamics, Spontaneous process, State function, Statistical ensemble, Temperature, Thermodynamic equilibrium, Thermodynamic potential, Thermodynamic processes, Thermodynamic state, Thermodynamic system, Third Law of Thermodynamics, Viscosity, Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
Quantum mechanics	Path integral formulation, Scattering theory, Schrödinger equation, Quantum field theory, Quantum statistical mechanics	Adiabatic approximation, Correspondence principle, Free particle, Hamiltonian, Hilbert space, Identical particles, Matrix Mechanics, Planck's constant, Operators, Quanta, Quantization, Quantum entanglement, Quantum harmonic oscillator, Quantum number, Quantum tunneling, Schrödinger's cat, Dirac equation, Spin, Wavefunction, Wave mechanics, Wave-particle duality, Zero-point energy, Pauli Exclusion Principle, Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

Branches

Astrophysics Atomic Physics Biophysics Chemical Physics Molecular Physics

Classical physics Acoustics Optics and Electromagnetism Condensed matter physics and Solid State Physics Fluid dynamics Geophysics

Nuclear Physics Particle Physics Quantum Physics Thermodynamics Theoretical Physics

Field	Subfields	Major theories	Concepts
Astrophysics	Cosmology, Gravitation physics, High-energy astrophysics, Planetary astrophysics, Plasma physics, Space physics, Stellar astrophysics	Big Bang, Lambda-CDM model, Cosmic inflation, General relativity, Law of universal gravitation	Black hole, Cosmic background radiation, Cosmic string, Cosmos, Dark energy, Dark matter, Galaxy, Gravity, Gravitational radiation, Gravitational singularity, Planet, Solar system, Star, Supernova, Universe
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics	Atomic physics, Molecular physics, Atomic and Molecular astrophysics, Chemical physics, Optics, Photonics	Quantum optics, Quantum chemistry, Quantum information science	Atom, Molecule, Diffraction, Electromagnetic radiation, Laser, Polarization, Spectral line, Casimir effect
Particle physics	Accelerator physics, Nuclear physics, Nuclear astrophysics, Particle astrophysics, Particle physics phenomenology	Standard Model, Quantum field theory, Quantum chromodynamics, Electroweak theory, Effective field theory, Lattice field theory, Lattice gauge theory, Gauge theory, Supersymmetry, Grand unification theory, Superstring theory, M-theory	Fundamental force (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak, strong), Elementary particle, Spin, Antimatter, Spontaneous symmetry breaking, Brane, String, Quantum gravity, Theory of everything, Vacuum energy
Condensed matter physics	Solid state physics, High pressure physics, Low-temperature physics, Nanoscale and mesoscopic physics, Polymer physics	BCS theory, Bloch wave, Fermi gas, Fermi liquid, Many-body theory	Phases (gas, liquid, solid, Bose-Einstein condensate, superconductor, superfluid), Electrical conduction, Magnetism, Self-organization, Spin, Spontaneous symmetry breaking

History

Main article: History of physics

General concepts

• General concepts

Gravity — Light — Physical system — Physical observation — Physical quantity — Physical state — Physical unit — Physical theory — Physical experiment —

• Theoretical concepts

Mass-energy equivalence — Particle — Physical field — Physical interaction — Physical law — Fundamental force — Physical constant — Wave

• Basic quantities

Space — Length — Time — Mass — Electric charge — Energy — Matter — Potential ^{[disambiguation needed ]} — Force — Momentum — Velocity — Acceleration — Entropy — Temperature

• Subfields

Acoustics — Aerodynamics — Classical mechanics — Condensed matter physics — Cosmology — Dynamics — Electromagnetism — Hydrodynamics — Kinematics — Mathematical physics — Mechanics — Optics — plasma physics — Quantum mechanics — Relativity — Statics — Thermodynamics

Famous physicists

Leon M. Lederman

Main article: List of physicists

• Ibn al-Haytham - Father of optics and discovered reflection and refraction.
• Archimedes - discovered the laws of flotation and developed Archimedes' principle.^[7]
• Galileo Galilei - "Father of modern physics."^{[citation needed]}.
• Isaac Newton - Laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, made significant contributions to the field of optics and co-invented the calculus. Often considered the greatest physicist of all time.
• Albert Einstein - Generally considered greatest scientist of the 20th century. Developed both the Special and General Theories of Relativity and proved the existence of atoms beyond doubt.
• Niels Bohr - made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. Widely considered one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century.
• Richard Feynman - Expanded the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and developed the tool known as Feynman diagrams.
• Robert Oppenheimer - "Father of the atomic bomb."
• Nikola Tesla - Expanded theories of nuclear physics and theoretical physics^{[citation needed]}. One of the main influences of the second industrial revolution.
• Stephen Hawking - made fundamental contributions to black hole physics and cosmology. Also authored popular books on these subjects.

Lists

Main article: Index of physics articles

• List of Common Physics Abbreviations
• List of equations in classical mechanics
• List of important publications in physics
• List of laws in science
• List of letters used in mathematics and science
• List of noise topics
• List of optical topics
• List of physicists
• List of scientific journals in physics
• List of scientific units named after people
• List of wave topics
• Variables commonly used in physics

See also

Physics portal

• Category:Fundamental physics concepts
• Category:Physics lists
• Elementary physics formulae
• Glossary of classical physics

Notes

1. ^ R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, M. Sands (1963), The Feynman Lectures on Physics, ISBN 0-201-02116-1 Hard-cover. p.1-1 Feynman begins with the atomic hypothesis, as his most compact statement of all scientific knowledge: "If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations ..., what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is ... that all things are made up of atoms – little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. ..." vol. I p. I–2
2. ^ James Clerk Maxwell (1878), Matter and Motion. New York: D. Van Nostrand. p.1: "Nature of Physical Science – Physical science is that department of knowledge which relates to the order of nature." | accessdate=2008-11-04
3. ^ H.D. Young & R.A. Freedman, University Physics with Modern Physics: 11th Edition: International Edition (2004), Addison Wesley. Chapter 1, section 1.1, page 2 has this to say: "Physics is an experimental science. Physicists observe the phenomena of nature and try to find patterns and principles that relate these phenomena. These patterns are called physical theories or, when they are very well established and of broad use, physical laws or principles."
   Steve Holzner, Physics for Dummies (2006), Wiley. Chapter 1, page 7 says: "Physics is the study of your world and the world and universe around you." See Amazon Online Reader: Physics For Dummies (For Dummies(Math & Science)), retrieved 24 Nov 2006
4. ^ Note: The term 'universe' is defined as everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and constants that govern them. However, the term 'universe' may also be used in slightly different contextual senses, denoting concepts such as the cosmos or the philosophical world.
5. ^ Evidence exists that the earliest civilizations dating back to beyond 3000BC, such as the Sumerians, Ancient Egyptians, and the Indus Valley Civilization, all had a predictive knowledge and a very basic understanding of the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars.
6. ^ Francis Bacon's 1620 Novum Organum was critical in the development of scientific method.
7. ^ Eminent scientists, Published by scholastic India pvt. Ltd.

External links

• AIP.org is the website of the American Institute of Physics
• IOP.org is the website of the Institute of Physics
• APS.org is the website of the American Physical Society
• SPS National is the website of the American Society of Physics Students
• CAP.ca is the website of the Canadian Association of Physicists
• EPS.org is the website of the European Physical Society
• Theoretical Physics as a Challenge (website with outline of physics) by Gerard ‘t Hooft