How Physics Works
As an
experimental science, physics utilizes the
scientific method to formulate and
test hypotheses that are based on observation of the natural world. The goal of physics is to use the results of these experiments to formulate
scientific laws, usually expressed in the language of mathematics, which can then be used to predict other phenomena.
The Role of Physics in Science
In a broader sense, physics can be seen as the most fundamental of the natural sciences. Chemistry, for example, can be viewed as a complex application of physics, as it focuses on the interaction of energy and matter in chemical systems. We also know that biology is, at its heart, an application of chemical properties in living things, which means that it is also, ultimately, ruled by the physical laws.
There is a classic story that Sir Isaac Newton came up with his
law of gravity when an apple fell on his head. What is true is that he was on his mother's farm and watched an apple fall from a tree onto the ground when he began to wonder what forces were at work to cause the apple to fall in that way. He eventually realized that they were the same forces which kept the moon in orbit around the Earth, which was his brilliant insight. But, so far as we know, he was never hit in the head with an apple.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar