1.1.1 Welcome to Physics

Question 1

Welcome to Physics

Answer 1

• Physics is the science that describes and explains the nature and behavior of physical systems.
• The concepts and laws of other natural sciences build up from more fundamental ones: the laws of physics.

Question 2

note 1

Answer 2

• If you were to study this diver what would you choose:physics or biology?
• Physics. It is physics that ultimately deals with the fundamental causes for the diver’s spinning and turning.
• The physics of a diver is fundamentally the same as the physics of a moving ball, or even the Moon going around the Earth.
• Physics is not about the complexity of the world, but rather about the simplicity of it. Physics takes a complicated system and characterizes it by its basic properties.

Question 3

note 2

Answer 3

• In the seventeenth century Newton wrote a set of laws, which are known as Newton’s laws. From these basic principles you will be able to describe a great deal of science.
• This course will start with a descriptive approach, and you will first learn about kinematics-the branch of mechanics that describes motion.
• From mechanics you’ll move to the study of energy, power,momentum. These concepts will be defined rigorously.
• You’ll learn how Newton’s laws need to be modified in order to avoid limitations: a few new and simple ideas introduced by Einstein.
• All the math you’ll need for this course is some basic algebra,trigonometry, and elementary calculus.

Question 4

physics

Answer 4

the science that describes and explains the nature and behavior of physical systems

Question 5

kinematics

Answer 5

branch of mechanics that deals with the description of motion