Lesson 2: Related Fields to Physics and Historical Issues and Contributors
Video Lesson
Lesson Objectives
Dear Learners,
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify different general fields of physics and their applications in life;
- Discuss the relationships between physics and other sciences and fields like transport, traffic, quality control and standards, etc
- Recognize at least three issues and four prominent physicists with significant contributions to the development of physics.
- Collect and use pictures and texts from a library and the internet to present prominent figures in the history of physics
Brainstorming Question
list some other fields or areas of science where physics is applicable.
Key terms and concepts
- Physics
- Revolutionary Discoveries
Physics is the foundation of many important scientific disciplines including, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology, Biophysics, Geophysics, Medical Physics etc.
Revolutionary discoveries starting at the beginning of the 20th century transformed physics from classical physics to modern physics. Many laws of classical physics have been modified during the 20th century, resulting in dramatic changes in technology, society, and our view of the universe.
Related Fields to Physics
Physics is the foundation of many important scientific disciplines. Some of them are discussed below.
- Chemistry: Chemistry deals with the interactions of atoms and molecules.
- Engineering: Most branches of engineering also apply physics. For example, in architecture, physics is at the heart of determining structural stability, acoustics, heating, lighting, and cooling for buildings.
- Geophysics: Geophysics applies the principles and methods of physics to the study of the Earth.
- Biophysics: Biophysics applies principles and methods used in physics to study biological phenomena.
- Medical Physics: Diagnostics and medical therapy, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), and ultrasonic blood flow measurements involves principles of physics.
Historical Issues and Contributors
Discoveries of physics find applications throughout the natural sciences and in technology. Some of the physics discoveries that changed the world are discussed below.
Marie Curie: French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research in the field of nuclear physics, particularly on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She is considered as the mother of modern nuclear physics. She discovered elements polonium and radium.
Isaac Newton: contributions laid the foundations for classical physics/classical mechanics. He contributed to the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th century by formulating three laws of motion, known as Newton’s laws of motion and showed how the principle of universal gravitation could be used to explain the behavior not only of falling bodies on the earth but also planets and other celestial bodies in the heavens.
Albert Einstein is known for developing theory of relativity. This revolutionary theory had a profound impact on classical mechanics and the underlying philosophy of physics. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest physicists of all time. Einstein also made important contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics.
Michael Faraday contributed a lot to the field of electromagnetism. In 1821 he succeeded in producing mechanical motion by means of a permanent magnet and an electric current. Ten years later he converted magnetic force into electrical force, thus inventing the world’s first electric generator. In general Michael Faraday changed the world with magnet.
James Prescott Joule studied the nature of heat, and discovered its relationship to mechanical work. This led to the law of conservation of energy. Joule’s work helped lay the foundation for the first of three laws of thermodynamics that describe how energy in our universe is transferred from one object to another or transformed from one form to another.
