We normally associate biology with squishy things that sometimes smell, chemistry with things that go boom, geology with rocks and dirt, and astronomy with bright objects that dot the skies above. When it comes to physics, however, similar associations are not so handy. One reason physics is so hard to pin down is because it’s simply everywhere, all the time.
A textbook definition of physics says it is the study of matter and energy. That’s certainly true, though somewhat understated since “matter” and “energy” can mean so much. If you open your eyes, you will see matter all around you. Some of it is hard and some of it is soft. Physics can help explain why that is, but more important, it can help explain what constitutes matter in the first place.
As for energy, your first thoughts are probably about the electricity that comes from the wall socket, or the gasoline you just pumped into your car. Energy in its broader sense is responsible for much more, from the colors in the rainbow, to the cooling effect of sweat, to the pressure that keeps a child’s balloon from deflating.
In short, it is hard to adequately define physics because it is so darn ubiquitous. The laws of physics explain why the sun rises and sets, why soap bubbles are colorful, why the wind blows, why clocks tick, and why nuclear weapons are so powerful—just to name a few.
Leave a Reply