Physics - the study of matter, energy and their interactions – is an international enterprise, which plays a key role in the future progress of humankind. The support of physics education and research in all countries is important because: physics is and exciting intellectual adventure that inspires young people and expands the frontiers of our knowledge about nature. Physics is the most basic of the physical sciences. From chemistry and geology through to biology and cosmology, we understand science in terms of the concepts developed in physics. Not only this, but many of the tools on which the advances of science and technology depend are direct product of physics.
The interests and concerns of physicists have always formed the basis of future technology.
In medicine we use X-rays, radioisotope and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, laser, electron microscopes, synchrotron radiation, and electronics all depend on advances made in physics. Where would our modern western economies be without computers?—we could not build the electronics that modern computers rely on without a knowledge of quantum mechanics. Our modern world is much more connected than in previous historical times. These days we travel far, communicate easily and quickly, and conduct business around the world effortlessly. In fact almost no place on earth has been excluded from the modern interconnected world.
We are not only connected with physics through modern technology we are connected at a much more basic level through mother nature. The tsunami in Sumatra Indonesia is a prime example. Not only was it catastrophic for the local area the laws of physics saw this tsunami travel across the Indian Ocean killing over 300,000 in Southeast Asia, and traveling through more than 30 other countries resulting in more than 500 deaths. This was the law of physics in action.
But as much proof as there is that physics has played an important role in the connectivity of all parts of the planet the world is still a much divided place. In developed countries you see an almost 100% literacy rate and a $30,000 mean capital income, and a life expectancy of 80. While in developing nations you see a literacy rate lower than 50% and a mean capital income that’s around $2000, and a life expectancy of 40. There is much more for physics, the scientific world, and governments to do to create equality with that interactivity.
Kofi Anna the UN Secretary General has been quick to point out the ongoing tragedies throughout the developing world that are directly tied to disease, poverty, and the degradation of the environment. He is also quick to point out that the lack of access to physics and other sciences as well as technology has attributed to many of these problems. Sadly the scientific community spends most of it’s time working on solutions for the developed world yet most of the population on earth can be found in nations that are developing.
Physics has the capability of playing a major role in finding solutions to many of the problems facing the human race. Of course it does not have all the answers but the science is developed enough to have created nuclear weapons which remain a global threat, then surely it can be used for the betterment of all people around the globe. Of course politics, socio-economic factors, and acceptance by the people all play a role in the development of a nation. But physics, engineering, and other technological and scientific feats can transform a developing nation to a developed nation. Just look at what the role of physics has accomplished in just the past 200 years.
Physics can play an important role in developing strategies to combat climate change, in the development of cleaner energies, and in the development of technological advancements. Then why is it that developing nations spend such a small portion of the GDP on research and development in these areas? Is it because the benefits of science and physics specifically are not fully recognized in industrialized and developing nations? Is it that they really do not want to face the idea that our world is in desperate need of change to ensure we do not destroy ourselves?
Physics and technology must work together to resolve the need for new technologies that will decrease the damage to our planet, for strategies to ensure that the people of developing countries have the tools to progress, the need for solutions to deadly diseases that remain a threat, and the need for solutions to the increasing demands we place on our resources before they are depleted.
The role of physics in our modern world is more important than in any other time in history.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICS TO SOCIETY
Physics generates fundamental knowledge needed for the future technological advances that will continue to drive the economic engines of the world.
Physics contributes to the technological infrastructure and provides trained personnel needed to take advantage of scientific advances and discoveries.
Physics is an important element in the education of chemists, engineers and computer scientists, as well as practitioners of the other physical and biomedical sciences.
Physics extends and enhances our understanding of other disciplines, such as the earth, agricultural, chemical, biological, and environmental sciences, plus astrophysics and cosmology - subjects of substantial importance to all peoples of the world.
Physics improves our quality of life by providing the basic understanding necessary for developing new instrumentation and techniques for medical applications, such as computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, ultrasonic imaging, and laser surgery.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICS TO MAN
Physics is important to man’s life because it is used in
• Cooking food
• Cleaning clothes
• Watching TV
• Heating your hose
• Playing sports
• Everything else in your life
• Physics plays an important role in health
• Economic development
• Education
• Energy and
• The environment.
Physics has had an increasingly important impact on the average person’s daily life. For example, Physicists played an essential role in the development of:
The Transistor-: The basis of all modern electronics, including radio, television, computers, and telecommunications.
The Laser And Laser Diodes: Now used widely in CD players, grocerybar code scanners medical treatment, and telecommunications.
The Digital Computer--much of the early development (and some of the most recent) have been motivated by basic research.
Fiber Optics: Now finding widespread application in high-speed data and voice transmission networks.
The Global Positioning System: Uses satellites and precise timing to allow positions to be allocated to within a few feet anywhere on the surface of the earth.
The Hologram: Uses on credit card, driver’s licenses, and other documents to prevent fraud. The World Wide Web (W.W.W)--originally designed by physicist for one to be able to access the world.
Medical Imaging Techniques: Such as the sonogram, the CAT scan, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs).
Medical Treatment Techniques: Using radiation and charged particle accelerators.
New Micro-Sensors: For “smart machines” and “smart buildings,” faster and smaller computers, computer disks that can store information in a smaller space, improved chemical processing to help the environment and reduce energy use, faster and cheaper telecommunications.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE VARIOUS IMPORTANCES OF PHYSICS TO MAN AND THE SOCIETY. Physics Improves Health;
In medical technology, positron emission tomography (PET) Lets neurologists see how energy flows inside the brain to see where problems could be occurring. Physics Connects the World;
The telecommunications industry, including the development of the internet, has benefited from physics research in telecommunications from radio waves to fiber optic cable. Physics Improves Technology;
The computing industry depends on physics research in semiconductors and magnetism in order to build processors and disk ever smaller and denser. Physics Drives Progress;
Physics research benefits the transportation industry in everything from what materials to build cars of to how to build efficient engines to navigating using the global positioning system. Physics Clears the Air;
Physics is used in environmental science to both detect problems and to build systems that are better for the environment with technologies such as solar power and plasma physics. Physics Fills the Home;
Many consumer goods developed from physics research. CDs are possible because of refinements in laser technology. Many household gadgets have microprocessors such as microwaves and phones. Physics Designs the Future;
Research in materials physics has led to many innovations in the substances from which products are made. One now-common material is Teflon®. Other substances are now used to make many items from sports equipment to earthquake-resistant buildings.
PHYSICS LUNCHES NEW BUSINESS; The defense department started the Global Positioning System (GPS), which uses 24 satellites. GPS was possible because of the atomic clock. Now GPS technology has many uses from being in road maps in cars to perceiving shifts in the tectonic plates.
PHYSICS IS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL OF THE SCIENCES; It is concerned with the most basic building blocks of all things - from ants to antennas, from quarks to quasars. The study of physics means trying to find out what the universe is made of, and how these things move and interact with each other. So in one sense, all the other sciences are built on the knowledge gained through the study of physics.
PHYSICS IS BEAUTIFUL; Physicists love simplicity. They are constantly striving to find the most fundamental ideas that can be used to describe even the most complex of phenomena. For example Newton found that only a very small number of concepts could be used to describe just about all of the mechanical world - from steam engines to the motion of the planets. Not only is this beautiful, it's downright amazing!
PHYSICS TEACHES YOU TO THINK; This might seem like a strange statement. The study of all subjects teach you to think. But because physics deals with the most basic concepts, the application of such techniques as "Separation of Variables" and "The Scientific Method" are never more clear than they are in the study of physics. Once mastered you will find that these methods can be applied to all subjects, including the business world and just coping with everyday life.
PHYSICS GIVES YOU A NEW APPRECIATION OF THE WORLD AROUND YOU; You can look a rainbow and say "Wow, pretty colors!", or you can marvel at the amazing interactions between photons and electrons that come together in that particular way when light from the sun strikes spherical water droplets in the sky, and that you perceive as a multicolored arc suspended in the air. Now that's awe! PHYSICS IS FUN; Lastly, studying physics gives you the opportunity of playing with a lot of really cool toys! IN ADDICTION: Many pioneers in molecular biology were trained as physicists e.g. Francis Crick, one of the two discoverers of
DNA. A large number of astronomers were also trained as physicist. Without physics, cars wouldn’t have being developed to take us to our various destinations.
TV’s, Light will not have been invented.
We would not have known about space,
Computer Games,
How water boils,
Model financial Market,
Shape futuristic buildings and structures.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION Physics is a creative subject, The concepts of physics don't come easily. Someone has to come up with a theory to begin with. This is just as much a creative process as composing music. But where physics, and science in general, differ from the Arts is that no one will accept your theory unless you have some way of testing its validity. Experimental physicists sometimes have to be enormously creative in coming up with methods of testing theories and measuring things in the world around them. For example, how do you tell that there is a planet orbiting a star that is so far away that it appears as nothing more than a spec of light in even the most powerful telescopes?
In summary, for all these reasons, physics is an essential part of the educational system and of an advanced society. We therefore urge all governments to seek advice from physicists and other scientists on matters of science policy, and to be supportive of the science of Physics.
Man has always been inspired by the wonders of nature.
He has always been curious to know the secrets of nature and remained in search.
Although physics play an important role to understand this physical world.
In our daily life,we hardly find a device where physics is not involved.
Consider pulleys that make it easy to lift a load.Electricity is used not only to get light and heat but also mechanical energy that drive fans and electric motors etc.
Consider the means of transportation such as cars and aeroplanes;domestic appliances such as air-conditioners, washing machines and microwave ovens.
Physics is important to our daily life because we use many thing like electricity etc.
Our entire existence relies on physics. From energy transference to the gravity keeping us on Earth, we rely on the laws of physics to go by our daily life.
In the most general sense, physics is the study of matter, energy, and the interaction between them. It is a very broad field, and is responsible for much of the technology available today.
A few examples:
• An understanding of Newton's Laws allows people to put satellites into orbit, design safer vehicles and build safe buildings.
• An understanding of electromagnetism allows people to build electrical circuits and computers.
• An understanding of the nature of light allows astronomers to determine the composition of stars without ever having to visit them.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Physics is more around us than one would think. Physics is in all of the things you love to do. Take golf as an example there is velocity in a golf swing. Velocity is the speed of something in a given object and the speed of your club in the direction you are aiming is velocity. Also there is gravitational potential energy in the top of your backswing to cause you to pull the club downward. Kinetic energy is also in golf, During your backswing kinetic energy is causing your club to go up and in your downswing all of the potential energy is turned into kinetic energy before you hit the ball. Friction is also involved in golf because friction is the force of two objects rubbing against each other and when you hit the golf ball of the ground your club and the ball are rubbing against each other to make the ball go farther. Also when the ball hits the ground the ball and grass are rubbing against each other to cause the ball to slow down.…
- 548 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The purpose of this assignment is to: introduce the learners to the foundations of each of the science disciplines, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.…
- 487 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
What is the perspective of each individual involved in the scenario, teacher, parent, child, etc?…
- 846 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Physical science has allowed us to gain increasing control over the physical world. This control has had direct and very useful consequences for our daily lives. Powerful technologies have been invented that very effectively shelter us from our environment and enable us to do things that would have been seen a magical a few decades ago. (Baran and Davis 8)…
- 1570 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Gary Zukav and the others present developed the idea of physics as the dance of the Wu Li Masters--the teachers of physical essence. Zukav explains the concept further:…
- 4843 Words
- 20 Pages
Good Essays -
Scientific theories/discoveries are validated by the success of the results, rather than common agreement. In saying this, quantum physics began as an explanation to many experiments.…
- 365 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Define scientific terms and concepts precisely. Demonstrate the ability to communicate the principles of science and of physics to his or her peers. Critically evaluate scientific data and arguments encountered in daily life. Discuss the importance of scientific methods and the concepts of physics in Western thought. Demonstrate the ability to solve problems using the laws of mechanics, waves, and thermodynamics. Conduct simple science experiments using accepted procedures and methods. Evaluate and reduce experimental data and define its limits of validity. Construct a scientific conclusion from experimental…
- 775 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Theory: Physics can be referred to as the study of various properties of matter and energy. Matter can best be described by looking at the mass of an object. Mass is the amount of material that is in an object. Mass can be found by using a spring scale, a balance scale, or an inertial balance. Inertia is the resistance by mass to any change in its state of motion. Scientific Law states that mass and inertial forces are directly proportional. The purpose of the inertial balance is to measure the different inertias between different masses therefore providing a mathematical and very accurate method of measuring mass. Experimentation showed that if a mass was put into some form of periodic motion, the mass could be measured fairly accurately by measuring the oscillation period and comparing it to a known mass period. The relationship m1=m2T12/T22 was discovered.…
- 648 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
•! Physics teaches practical and analytical thinking like none else. ! •! Excellent performance in Physics will improve your prospects and financial worth in the job market.! This is a HARD course, it will require substantial! investment of your time.!…
- 1704 Words
- 7 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Physics is involved in all of our daily activities. Most of the time, however, physics is overlooked and never acknowledged. It is important to understand different aspects of physics because physics tells us how and why certain events occur. By definition, physics is the search for laws that describe the most fundamental aspects of nature: matter, energy, force, motion, heat, light, and other phenomena. There are many different sectors of physics, but we will be focusing primarily on mechanical physics. Each step of the field goal kicking process involves physics, which we will explain.…
- 1228 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
2. The question I ask myself after watching Dr. Greene’s video, is why physics is not glamorized such as sports and entertainment? Like he said as children we all have a little interest in science, but at some point we lose interest. I think we lose interest because of all the distractions in the world such as the media. With these distractions in place we forget about how important physics is and how it plays a major role in our lives.…
- 438 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
ii. In the field of biology x-rays are used to capture images of ultrafast moving molecular reactions that we were unable to observe before such as photosynthesis.…
- 868 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Physics may be considered one of the physical sciences but it is the foundation that other physical sciences are built upon. It deals with forces, light, atoms and matter to begin with, which are the building blocks of all things, including other sciences.…
- 1941 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Due to the fact that alcohol is a psychoactive substance, it is incredibly easy to become addicted to these adult spirits. The state of this addiction is called alcoholism, and has an intense impact on your central nervous system. No matter how many people attempt to minimize the reality of alcoholism, we at (Location Name), understand the traumatic and devastating consequences of short-term, as well as long-term alcohol abuse, and are here to help you in your journey to a sustainable recovery.…
- 397 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
All of the sciences relate to the practice of medicine. For example, when examining a specific drug or medication, chemistry is involved because of the specific elements and bonding location (e.g. cis-trans isomerism) involved, causing the mechanism of action to be one way instead of the other. Another example would involve biology, where in biotechnology scientists are able to create designer babies through eugenics, editing and manipulating the genes of an offspring. Physics is involved in a particular instance like receiving an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), where strong magnetic fields, radio waves, and field gradients are used to form images of the body. Many other subjects are also vital to the practice of medicine including statistics, which allows us to organize our data in a way that we could understand the results and draw a conclusion; psychology, which allows us to understand behaviors and disorders (cause) that lead to the production of medicine (effect); and calculus, which allows us to calculate the rate of change of the surface area of a growing…
- 847 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays