Branches of physics

The General Physics is the science that describes everything that happens in the Universe. His objects of study are very diverse: movement and balance, energy, work, power.

That is why need to specialize, and then arise the branches of Physics, What are they sciences derived from it and that they speak of their respective phenomena, with all their theoretical development and particularities.

Each of the divisions or branches of this primordial science, with its field of study, are described below.

Divisions or branches of physics:

1. Mechanics

The Mechanics is the branch of physics that studies the movement of bodies in general, and is divided into Kinematic, Static and Dynamic.

The Kinematics deals with the study of the movement of bodies, in particular the movement of a material point. From the mathematical point of view, Kinematics expresses how the position coordinates changeof a particle or several, depending on the time.

The mathematical function that describes the path traveled by the body or particle depends on the speed and acceleration. Velocity is the speed with which a mobile changes position. And acceleration is the change in speed, with respect to time.

The Static study the situation in which one body is at rest and the other is moving with uniform rectilinear motion. Both circumstances, despite looking different, correspond to the same state, called Mechanical balance.

The Dynamic study the motion of objects and their response to forces. Descriptions of motion begin by defining quantities such as displacement, time, velocity, acceleration, mass, and force.

2. Energy Study

The Energy Study is the branch of Physics that is responsible for determine the varieties of this abstract physical quantity, which is Energy; This is linked to the dynamic state of a system and remains unchanged over time in the isolated systems (with “isolated” we mean a system that does not allow neither the input nor the output of matter or energy).

Energy it is not a real physical species, nor an intangible substance, but a scalar number that maps to the state of the physical system, that is, energy is a mathematical tool or abstraction of a property of physical systems.

Thanks to the study of Energy, the dynamics of a system can be fully described as a function of the energies kinetic, potential and other types of its components.

They are defined as a field of this branch of Physics all the types of energy, which are Mechanical Energy, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Electromagnetic Energy, Radiant Energy, Thermal Energy and Internal Energy.

In addition to the manifestations of energy, Work and Power are fields of study. Work is the productivity that energy can provide when applied to a body, per unit of time. It is the application of a force that causes a movement. Power is how fast the Work is done.

3. Thermodynamics

The Thermodynamics It is the branch of Physics that studies the effects of changes in Temperature, Pressure and Volume of physical systems at a macroscopic level.

For the concept of Thermodynamics, "Thermo" or Heat means "Energy in transit", and "Dynamic" means Movement. Essentially, Thermodynamics takes care of study the circulation of energy and how energy transmits movement. This branch of physics was developed based on the need to increase the efficiency of the first steam engines.

The quantities that are measured in thermodynamics are: the Sensitive Heat, the Middle free path, the Compressibility, the Gibbs Free Energy, the Helmholtz Free Energy, the Enthalpy, the Enthalpy of Formation, the Enthalpy of Vaporization and the Entropy.

4. Electrostatics and Electrodynamics

The Electrostatics is the branch of Physics that is responsible for the study of Electric fields generated by the presence of electric charges in some material, and of how these charges behave in attraction and repulsion phenomena, generating forces between them that are useful when designing electrical machines.

The Electrodynamics is the branch of Physics that is dedicated to studying the motion of electric charges along an electric fieldor through an electrically conductive material. This movement of charges is called Electric current, and it can be of fluctuating sign, also called Alternate, or it can be of constant value, or Direct.

In addition, the applications in Electronic devices are studied, with semiconductor materials such as Silicon and Germanium.

5. Electromagnetism

Electromagnetism studies the Applications of the waves that constitute the Electromagnetic Spectrum, which are Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared Waves, Visible Light, Ultraviolet Waves, X-Rays and Gamma Rays.

Thanks to this branch of Physics, devices have been created that have made everyday life much easier, such as Radio receiving and transmitting apparatus, Microwave ovens for heating food, infrared cameras for detecting the near heat, the ultraviolet lamps for detection of substances printed on surfaces, the X-ray machines to carry out bone studies.

6. Astrophysics 

The Astrophysics is the branch of Physics that is responsible for studying the motion and energy interactions in celestial bodiesBe it planets, stars, comets, wormholes, black holes.

Through computational tools, astrophysics collects information from the universe and conducts experiments to study their behavior. Thus, the trajectories of comets and asteroids traveling through space can even be understood and predicted.

In addition, astrophysics is dedicated to investigating the physical and chemical profile of each space body, taking advantage of it to discover new horizons in experimentation.

7. Physical chemistry

Physicochemistry is the branch of Physics that is responsible for the study of behavior of energies in chemical phenomena, such as Chemical Reactions, Dissociations in Electrolytic Solutions, the synthesis of elements and compounds, Reaction Catalysis.

Of the Chemical reactions, it is calculated if they are Endothermic absorbing energy of the environment to be carried out, or Exothermic, being spontaneous and releasing energy to its surroundings. This calculation is made with the algebraic sum of the enthalpies of synthesis of each reactant present. Here a subdivision of Physicochemistry call Thermochemical.

In the Electrolytic Solutions, it is studied how ionic substances dissociate into charged particles that compose them, generating the possibility of an electric current passing through the Solution. The result is a subdivision of Physicochemistry, call Electrochemistry, focused on said dissociations of ionic substances and their use in Electrochemical Cells.

Catalysis of chemical reactions consists of using a substance to accelerate or delay a working reaction. This modifying agent of the reaction rate is called Catalyst, and it does not participate by joining the reacting species, but leaves the process as it entered. This gives rise to a new subdivision of Physicochemistry, called Chemical Kinetics, which studies the Rate of Chemical Reactions.

Furthermore, Physicochemistry strives to describe energy interactions at the atomic level, with the so-called Collision Theory.