Intro to Physics
Mrs. Coyle
Physics is the study of the physical world
including motion, energy, light, electricity,
magnetism, sound etc.
Golden Gate Bridge
Physics
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Mechanics
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Kinematics (motion)
Statics, Dynamics (forces)
Electricity
Magnetism
Waves
Optics (geometric optics)
Nuclear Physics (Modern Physics)
Physics
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The most basic
science.
The foundation of
other sciences
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What?
Why?
How?
When?
Aristotle (Greek 4th Century BC)
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Logic
Studied motion
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Natural and violent motion
4 elements:
earth, water, air, fire
Geocentric view
Aristarchos(310-230 BC),
disagreed and believed in
heliocentric view.
Democritus
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Greek who devised the
first atomic theory.
Galileo Galilei (1564 AD)
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Father of the scientific
method (along with the
Englishman Francis
Bacon 1500’s).
Studied motion.
Agreed with the Greek
Aristarchos and Polish
Copernicus (1473-1543)
on heliocentric view
point. This lead to his
house arrest.
Isaac Newton
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English (1642-1727) related force and
motion and studied light.
A Glance at Some Scientists who
Studied Electricity and Magnetism
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American Benjamin Franklin (17061790), experimented with electricity.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867), English
with a grammar school education,
found that a moving magnet induces
electric current to flow.
The BIG Guy
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Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Relativity: there is no absolute
frame of reference that is at
rest.
Photoelectric effect (Light is
quantized) (Nobel Prize)
Related mass and energy
E=mc2
The Scientific Method
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Steps followed during scientific
investigations.
Scientific Method
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Recognize a problem
Hypothesis- educated guess, testable
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When tested and confirmed becomes a law
Observation -measurement, data
collection (experiment)
Theory – information including tested
hypothesis
Conclusion
Law or Principle
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A hypothesis that has been repeatedly
tested and not contradicted.
Laws change or are abandoned when
contradicted.
Scientific Fact
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Observation
May change
Science and Technology
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Science
 Pure
Technology  Applied
Math and Units
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Math- the language of Physics
Units
SI – International System
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Basic Units
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MKS
Meter m
Mass kg
Time s
National Bureau of Standards
Prefixes