Topic outline of physics

:"For a more comprehensive list, see the List of physics topics."

This list of basic physics topics covers much of physics, the science concerned with the discovery and understanding of the fundamental laws which govern matter, energy, space, and time. Physics deals with the elementary constituents of the Universe and their interactions, as well as the analysis of systems best understood in terms of these fundamental principles. Because physics treats the core workings of the universe, including the quantum mechanical details which underpin all atomic interactions, it can be thought of as the foundational science, upon which stands "the central science" of chemistry, the earth sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences. Discoveries in basic physics have important ramifications for all of science.

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

Where to start

:"See: ". :"For those seeking an overview of the fundamental categories of physics, see the subcategories of ."For students, there is a school course which starts with Physics First. The Physical Science Study Committee (1956) committed to production of the textbook PSSC "Physics" (1960). Other efforts include the Berkeley physics series and the "Feynman Lectures on Physics".

In addition, it is helpful to prepare for the act of study. See Study skills in the .

Essence of physics

: "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.

Branches of physics

*Astrophysics
*Atomic physics
*Biophysics
*Chemical Physics

*Classical physics
*Condensed matter physics
*Molecular physics
*Nuclear Physics

*Optical physics
*Particle Physics
*Quantum Physics
*Thermodynamics

History of physics

: "Main article: History of physics"

Basic physics 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 - 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

: "Main list: List of physicists"
* Archimedes - Laid down the laws of flotation and developed Archimedes' principle. [Eminent scientists, Published by scholastic India pvt. Ltd.]
* Niels Bohr - made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. Widely considered one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century.
* Albert Einstein - Greatest scientist of the 20th century, and possibly of all time. Developed both the Special and General Theories of Relativity.
* Richard Feynman - Expanded the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and developed the tool known as Feynman diagrams.
* Isaac Newton - Laid the groundwork for classical mechanics.
* Robert Oppenheimer - "Father of the atomic bomb."

Physics lists

: "Main article: List of physics topics"

* List of Common Physics Abbreviations
* List of games using physics engines
* List of important publications in physics
* List of noise topics

* List of optical topics
* List of physicists
* List of physics-based computer and video games
* List of scientific journals in physics

See also

* Glossary of classical physics
*
*

Notes

External links

* [http://www.aip.org/index.html AIP.org] is the website of the American Institute of Physics
* [http://www.iop.org IOP.org] is the website of the Institute of Physics
* [http://www.aps.org APS.org] is the website of the American Physical Society
* [http://www.spsnational.org SPS National] is the website of the American Society of Physics Students
* [http://www.cap.ca/ CAP.ca] is the website of the Canadian Association of Physicists
* [http://www.eps.org/ EPS.org] is the website of the European Physical Society