Importance of Physics

Serena Cuoghi
Title of Professor of Biology

Physics is one of the oldest basic sciences that exist, having an inestimable importance for the understanding of natural phenomena present in the universe until the evolution of humanity to the point where we are today. From why objects move to how matter is transformed and how it is found so strongly linked to the concept of energy, are unknowns that physics is responsible for reveal.

Like all other sciences, physics is also subdivided into various areas, highlighting among the most common: 1) mechanics, focused on the study of movement and behavior of bodies in relation to the forces acting on them and which is divided into Newtonian mechanics, quantum mechanics and mechanical relativistic; 2) thermodynamics, which deals with the study of heat and energy transfer processes, and how they are related to changes in the physical and chemical properties of matter; 3) electromagnetism and electrodynamics, which analyze the electrical and magnetic properties of matter, and how they interact with each other; 4) optics that observes the phenomena related to light and how it behaves in different materials and situations; 5) atomic and nuclear physics, focused on the study of the structure and properties of atoms and atomic nuclei, as well as their reactions; 6) particle physics, through which subatomic particles and their interaction with the fundamental forces of nature are investigated; 7) mathematical physics, specialized in the development of theories and mathematical models that allow explain and predict the behavior of matter and energy in different situations and conditions; 8) astrophysics, which without a doubt is the field with the greatest disclosure in recent times, thanks to the great advances made in understanding the affairs of the cosmos.

Why study Physics?

The author of this article assumes that in her youth she came to wonder "what use would it be to learn formulas and concepts of physics?". Well, it is true that formulas will not be a constant in the life of each person, but physics will. It is present in almost everything that involves our lives in such a routine way that it goes unnoticed. The electric light, the car that takes us somewhere, cooking on a gas stove are examples. of how physics is useful, but don't be fooled into thinking that it is only in the comforts that it is present. Do you know that bread that you left forgotten outside the package, that got hard, or that time you ran to the bus stop before it arrived? They also involve physics.

It is thanks to the study of physics that we find the answer to natural phenomena and with this knowledge we can develop techniques on how to master or improve the processes using them to our favor. Regarding the example of the bread that we cited, we observe that the softness of its initial state is associated with the availability of water inside it, that when it is in contact with the air, it undergoes the exchange of humidity, losing water with the environment and thus, as a result, the bread hardens. Based on this information, we proceed to store the bread in an airtight bag or container, which in this case will be a barrier between the food and the environment, in order to be preserved for a longer time.

It is virtually impossible for many of us to imagine life without the technological advantages that surround us, but none of this would be possible without an understanding of the science behind it. knowledge. This understanding goes far beyond preserving food or knowing the advantages of electricity, since people with a good understanding of basic physics they can prevent certain dangerous situations and even save the life of someone.

calculations to live

Without the possibility of constant and complex mathematical handling as a base language, physical phenomena could not even be understandable and much less predictable, which is why for this area of ​​human knowledge the quantification of the events.

However, mathematics also allows the development of predictive models based on mere hypotheses, sometimes based on really absurd ideas, but which allow or another way to give shape to the analysis of a phenomenon on which there is still not enough data or even any evidence, therefore, most of the approaches and more even those that are carried out from fields such as astrophysics, cannot be considered more than speculative bases on what in the future can be demonstrated or disproved by complete. An example of this is represented by the theory of black holes itself, which for decades was only a potential explanation offered by Stephen. Hawking, about what he thought could happen after the release of excessive amounts of energy after certain phenomena in the Universe, but otherwise which had no more than an accumulation of numbers and equations, until just in 2019 the level of technology necessary to be able to observe one by one was reached. first time.

All this as a consequence of the fact that for years Hawking dedicated himself to promoting his idea, with which he knew what to look for and in where, although there was no previous evidence of its existence, beyond a logic accompanied by a few numbers.

Origin of physics as a science

Physics is defined as the science that deals with the investigation of natural phenomena in its most diverse aspects in the search for knowledge about the properties and relationships of matter and energy. It can be said that its origin is linked to the philosophers of nature in ancient Greece who denied mystical explanations to the phenomena they observed and began to rationalize theories about the facts that the surrounded.

Many centuries later, at the time of the Renaissance, there was a great advance in physics with names like Galileo and Newton, and with the knowledge accumulated by many scholars arose formulations, experiments and mainly interpretations based on facts expressed in mathematical language, that is, equations.

From this wide and growing range of information that was emerging/discovered over the years, the foolishness of dividing this science into areas and, consequently, into subareas, appears, following its development and advances technological. Thus, we have classical physics and modern physics as the two main branches. The first directs his studies to macroscopic phenomena such as thermology, optics, mechanics, waves and electricity. Modern Physics, for its part, deals with microscopic phenomena, the study of which, as mentioned above, was made possible by technological advances in the sub-areas of quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and relativity.

Theoretical physicists are currently proposing various hypotheses and models to explain the origin and evolution of the universe, the nature of dark matter and energy. dark, and the fundamental structure of matter at the subatomic level, with new discoveries being found daily, so space news has become a new race communication by who can provide more information, attracting the interest of humanity towards issues that until recently were considered elitist and understandable to some few, demonstrating with this that the sciences, despite their complexity, are a matter created by human curiosity itself and that, therefore, they will never be outside of their true essence and interest.

Physics always present in everyday life

There are so many related concepts, from the motion from our body to the launch of a rocket into space, that describing them all is almost impossible. However, knowledge about certain physical phenomena has become essential for safety and security. human survival, and is transmitted between people for generations, even without a correct understanding of because. With the expansion of studies and research and a better understanding of how everything happens, physics began to be taught in classrooms from childhood.

Thus, for example, in the middle of a storm we should always avoid open spaces, since lightning tends to be attracted to the highest point, that is, a person or a post. It's also not safe to get too close to a tree because the sap inside it is a good electrical conductor, increasing the chances of getting it on you. lightning strikes, making it all too common for cars parked under trees to be damaged by snapping branches (not to mention the force of lightning). wind).

References

Hawking, S. (1988). History of time. From the big bang to black holes. Espasa.

Hawking, S., & Jou, D. (2002). The Universe in a Nutshell. Barcelona: Criticism.

Hawking, S. (2018). The Theory of Everything (Illustrated Edition): The Origin and Fate of the Universe. Debate.

Resnick, R., Halliday, D., & Krane, K. (2004). Physics Vol. YO. YO.

Serway, R. A., & Jewett, J. W. (2009). Physics for science and engineering with modern physics. Cengage Learning Publishers.