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Physics

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Physics is the branch of science that studies matter, energy, motion, and the fundamental forces that govern how they interact, from subatomic particles to the large scale structure of the universe.

Facts
Founded Year
1687 1
Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica (1687) is commonly dated as the founding of classical, mathematically formalized physics; natural philosophy about motion and matter is far older.
Central Question
How do the fundamental constituents of the universe interact through the four fundamental forces, and what unifies them into a single coherent framework? 2
Scope
Physics studies matter, its fundamental constituents, motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. 2
Significance
As the most fundamental of the natural sciences, physics underlies chemistry, materials science, astronomy and engineering. Its quantitative laws of motion, thermodynamics and electromagnetism, developed since the seventeenth century Scientific Revolution, remain the working foundation on which the other natural sciences build. 2
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Cavendish Laboratory, Institutions

The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge.

RIKEN, Institutions

RIKEN is the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research.

Encompasses

A branch of physics; also closely tied to materials science, which drew on it as one of its own founding fields.

Founded By

Has Scientist

C.V. Raman, Scientists
Source Kirchhoff and Bunsen on Spectroscopy (ChemTeam)Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen

Has Theory

Uses

In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Isaac Newton: The Principia (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaView the Source
2. Physics (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
Quote, Lead section
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. It is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines.
View the Source
Newton's Law of Gravitation (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Theory: Universal GravitationView the Source
Special Relativity (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Theory: Special RelativityView the Source
Planck's Radiation Law (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Theory: Quantum TheoryView the Source
General Relativity (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Theory: General RelativityView the Source
Isaac Newton (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Isaac NewtonView the Source
Albert Einstein, Biographical (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel FoundationHas Scientist: Albert EinsteinView the Source
Max Planck, Biographical (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel FoundationHas Scientist: Max PlanckView the Source
Ernest Rutherford, Biographical (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel FoundationHas Scientist: Ernest RutherfordView the Source
Hans Lippershey (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Hans LippersheyView the Source
William Thomson, Baron Kelvin (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: William Thomson, Lord KelvinView the Source
Marie Curie, Biographical (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel Prize (Nobel Foundation)Has Scientist: Marie CurieView the Source
Michelson Interferometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: Michelson InterferometerView the Source
Mercury Barometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: BarometerView the Source
Thermometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: ThermometerView the Source
Thermometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Galileo GalileiView the Source
Thermometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Daniel Gabriel FahrenheitView the Source
Cathode-Ray Oscilloscope (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: OscilloscopeView the Source
Bubble Chamber (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: Bubble ChamberView the Source
Synchrotron (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: SynchrotronView the Source
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: Van de Graaff GeneratorView the Source
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Robert Jemison Van de GraaffView the Source
Michelson-Morley Experiment (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaHas Scientist: Albert A. MichelsonView the Source
Ernest Lawrence, Facts (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel FoundationHas Scientist: Ernest LawrenceView the Source
Ernest Lawrence, Facts (Nobel Prize)
The Nobel FoundationUses: CyclotronView the Source
Kirchhoff and Bunsen on Spectroscopy (ChemTeam)
Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen, Annalen der Physik und der Chemie, 1860Has Scientist: Gustav KirchhoffView the Source
Cloud Chamber (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: Cloud ChamberView the Source
Geiger Counter (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: Geiger CounterView the Source
Large Hadron Collider (CERN)
CERNUses: Large Hadron ColliderView the Source
Spectroscope (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: SpectroscopeView the Source
William Shockley (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: TransistorView the Source
Francis Aston (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Francis AstonView the Source
Zacharias Janssen (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Zacharias JanssenView the Source
Hans Geiger (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Hans GeigerView the Source
Ernst Ruska (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Ernst RuskaView the Source
Donald Glaser (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Donald GlaserView the Source
Karl Ferdinand Braun (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Karl Ferdinand BraunView the Source
Edwin McMillan (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Edwin McMillanView the Source
Evangelista Torricelli (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Evangelista TorricelliView the Source
Joseph von Fraunhofer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Joseph von FraunhoferView the Source
J.J. Thomson (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: J. J. ThomsonView the Source
C. T. R. Wilson (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: C. T. R. WilsonView the Source
Vladimir Veksler (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Vladimir VekslerView the Source
Condensed Matter Physics (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEncompasses: Solid-State PhysicsView the Source
Astrophysics (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncompasses: AstrophysicsView the Source
Geophysics (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncompasses: GeophysicsView the Source
Materials Science (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEncompasses: Materials ScienceView the Source
Sadi Carnot (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncompasses: ThermodynamicsView the Source
LIGO (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave ObservatoryView the Source
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: NMR SpectrometerView the Source
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses: Scanning Tunneling MicroscopeView the Source
Isidor Isaac Rabi (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Isidor Isaac RabiView the Source
Felix Bloch (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Felix BlochView the Source
Edward Mills Purcell (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Edward Mills PurcellView the Source
Gerd Binnig (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Gerd BinnigView the Source
Heinrich Rohrer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Heinrich RohrerView the Source
Influential Theoretical Physicist and Nobel Laureate Chen-Ning Yang Dies Aged 103 (Physics World)
Michael Banks, Physics World, 2025Has Scientist: Chen-Ning YangView the Source
Tsung-Dao Lee (1926-2024), Nobel-Winning Physicist (Legacy.com)
Linnea Crowther, Legacy.com, 2024Has Scientist: Tsung-Dao LeeView the Source
Robert L. Mills (Physics Today)
Physics Today, 2019Has Scientist: Robert MillsView the Source
Biophysics (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEncompasses: Biophysics, Lead section
Quote, Encompasses: Biophysics, Lead section
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies approaches and methods traditionally used in physics to study biological phenomena.
View the Source
Nuclear Physics (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEncompasses: Nuclear Physics, Lead section
Quote, Encompasses: Nuclear Physics, Lead section
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
View the Source
Open Questions (1 open question)
What causes high-temperature superconductivity?

Superconductivity above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen was discovered in copper-oxide ceramics in 1986, but unlike low-temperature superconductivity, no accepted theory explains why electrons pair and flow without resistance at such comparatively high temperatures. The mechanism remains, in the field's own words, an important unsolved theoretical problem in condensed matter physics.

What would resolve this A microscopic theory of high-temperature superconductivity that predicts, rather than merely fits after the fact, which materials will superconduct and at what temperature, tested against the growing family of known high-temperature superconductors.
Condensed matter physicsPhysics (Wikipedia)
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