User:Carchasm/sandbox/Outline of Physics

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See also: Index of physics articles

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to physics:

Physics – natural science that involves the study of matter[1] and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force.[2] More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.[3][4][5]

What type of subject is physics?[edit]

Physics can be described as all of the following:

  • An academic discipline – one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
  • A scientific field (a branch of science) – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer-reviewed research is published.

Types of Physics Research[edit]

Branches of Physics[edit]

Classical Mechanics[edit]

Classical Mechanics describes the motion of matter

Formulations[edit]

Physical Quantities[edit]

Types of Motion[edit]


    • Dynamics – the study of the causes of motion and changes in motion
    • Statics – the branch of mechanics concerned with the analysis of loads (force, torque/moment) on physical systems in static equilibrium, that is, in a state where the relative positions of subsystems do not vary over time, or where components and structures are at a constant velocity.

conservation law,

Continuum mechanics[edit]

Continuum mechanics - the branch of mechanics that deals with the analysis of the kinematics and the mechanical behavior of materials modeled as a continuous mass rather than as discrete particles.


Nonlinear Dynamics

Chaos Theory

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics[edit]

Electricity and Magnetism[edit]


Theory of Relativity[edit]

Mathematical Formalism[edit]


proper length, proper time rest energy, rest mass spacetime speed of light

Thought Experiments[edit]

relativity of simultaneity

General Relativity[edit]

Covariance, Einstein manifold, equivalence principle, , general principle of relativity, geodesic motion, gravity, gravitoelectromagnetism, inertial frame of reference, invariance, length contraction, Lorentzian manifold, Lorentz transformation, metric, Minkowski diagram, principle of relativity, , reference frame,stress–energy tensor, time dilation, world line

Quantum Mechanics[edit]


Foundational Experiments[edit]

Phenomena[edit]

Mathematical Tools[edit]

Hamiltonian, Hilbert space


correspondence principle, quantization, quantum number, spin, zero-point energy, Pauli exclusion principle,

Physical Constants[edit]


Mathematical Formulations[edit]

Model Systems[edit]

Approximations[edit]


Interpretations[edit]

Astrophysics and Physical Cosmology[edit]

See also: Outline of astronomy
  • Astrophysics - the study of the physics of stars, galaxies, and larger systems
  • Physical Cosmology - study of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe.

Condensed matter[edit]

Condensed matter physics is the study of the physical properties of condensed phases of matter.

low-temperature physics, nanoscale and mesoscopic physics, polymer physics

high pressure physics, , Bloch's theorem, Fermi gas, Fermi liquid, many-body theory Phases (gas, liquid, solid, Bose–Einstein condensate, , superfluid self-organization, spin, spontaneous symmetry breaking

Material Properties[edit]

Atomic, molecular, and optical physics[edit]

quantum chemistry, molecule, electromagnetic radiation, laser, spectral line, Casimir effect atomic and molecular astrophysics, chemical physics,


Nuclear Physics[edit]

Particle Physics[edit]

Types of Particles[edit]






nuclear astrophysics, particle astrophysics, quantum field theory, quantum chromodynamics, electroweak theory, effective field theory, lattice field theory, lattice gauge theory, gauge theory,

, , spin, antimatter, spontaneous symmetry breaking, brane, , quantum gravity, theory of everything, vacuum energy

Astrophysics and Cosmology[edit]

Astrophysics Cosmology, gravitation physics, high-energy astrophysics, planetary astrophysics, plasma physics, space physics, stellar astrophysics Big Bang, Lambda-CDM model, cosmic inflation, general relativity, law of universal gravitation Black hole, cosmic background radiation, cosmic string, cosmos, dark energy, dark matter, galaxy, gravity, gravitational radiation, gravitational singularity, planet, Solar System, star, supernova, universe

Applied and Interdisciplinary Fields of Physics[edit]

  • Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation).
  • Atmospheric physics – the study of the application of physics to the atmosphere
  • Biophysics – interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physics to study biological systems
    • Biomechanics – the study of the structure and function of biological systems such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells using the methods of mechanics.
    • Homeokinetics - the physics of complex, self-organizing systems
    • Neurophysics – branch of biophysics dealing with the nervous system.
    • Quantum biology - application of quantum mechanics to biological phenomenon.
  • Chemical physics – the branch of physics that studies chemical processes from physics.
  • Geophysics – the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods
  • Psychophysics – quantitatively investigates the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they affect.
  • Materials physics – use of physics to describe materials in many different ways such as force, heat, light, and mechanics.
    • Polymer physics – field of physics that studies polymers, their fluctuations, mechanical properties, as well as the kinetics of reactions involving degradation and polymerization of polymers and monomers respectively.


  • Other
  • Agrophysics – the study of physics applied to agroecosystems
    • Soil physics – the study of soil physical properties and processes.
  • Cryogenics – cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature (below −150 °C, −238 °F or 123K) and the behavior of materials at those temperatures.
  • Econophysics – interdisciplinary research field, applying theories and methods originally developed by physicists to solve problems in economics

Studies of Physics[edit]

  • Philosophy of physics - deals with conceptual and interpretational issues in modern physics, many of which overlap with research done by certain kinds of theoretical physicists.
  • Physics education
  • History of physics – history of the physical science that studies matter and its motion through space-time, and related concepts such as energy and force
    • History of astrophysics – history of the study of the physical aspects of celestial objects
    • History of electromagnetism – history of the branch of science concerned with the forces that occur between electrically charged particles.
    • History of classical mechanics – history of the one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces.
    • History of fluid mechanics – history of the study of fluids and the forces on them.
    • History of quantum mechanics – history of the branch of physics dealing with physical phenomena where the action is on the order of the Planck constant.
    • History of thermodynamics – history of the branch of physical science concerned with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work.
    • History of nuclear physics – history of the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei.
    • History of optics – history of the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it.
    • History of particle physics – history of the branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation.
    • History of special relativity - history of the study of the relationship between space and time in the absence of gravity
    • History of general relativity - history of the non-quantum theory of gravity

General concepts of physics[edit]

Basic principles of physics[edit]

Physics – branch of science that studies matter[9] and its motion through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force.[10] Physics is one of the "fundamental sciences" because the other natural sciences (like biology, geology etc.) deal with systems that seem to obey the laws of physics. According to physics, the physical laws of matter, energy and the fundamental forces of nature govern the interactions between particles and physical entities (such as planets, molecules, atoms or the subatomic particles). Some of the basic pursuits of physics, which include some of the most prominent developments in modern science in the last millennium, include:

Gravity, light, physical system, physical observation, physical quantity, physical state, physical unit, physical theory, physical experiment

Theoretical concepts Mass–energy equivalence, particle, physical field, physical interaction, physical law, fundamental force, physical constant, wave

Measurement[edit]

Motion[edit]

Lists[edit]

Index of physics articles


See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Richard Feynman begins his Lectures with the atomic hypothesis, as his most compact statement of all scientific knowledge: "If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations ..., what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is ... that all things are made up of atoms – little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. ..." R. P. Feynman; R. B. Leighton; M. Sands (1963). The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Vol. 1. p. I-2. ISBN 978-0-201-02116-5.
  2. ^ J. C. Maxwell (1878). Matter and Motion. D. Van Nostrand. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-486-66895-6. Physical science is that department of knowledge which relates to the order of nature, or, in other words, to the regular succession of events.
  3. ^ H.D. Young; R.A. Freedman (2004). University Physics with Modern Physics (11th ed.). Addison Wesley. p. 2. Physics is an experimental science. Physicists observe the phenomena of nature and try to find patterns and principles that relate these phenomena. These patterns are called physical theories or, when they are very well established and of broad use, physical laws or principles.
  4. ^ S. Holzner (2006). Physics for Dummies. Wiley. p. 7. Bibcode:2005pfd..book.....H. ISBN 978-0-470-61841-7. Physics is the study of your world and the world and universe around you.
  5. ^ Note: The term 'universe' is defined as everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and constants that govern them. However, the term 'universe' may also be used in slightly different contextual senses, denoting concepts such as the cosmos or the philosophical world.
  6. ^ Edmund Taylor Whittaker (1904). A Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35883-5.
  7. ^ Joseph Stiles Beggs (1983). Kinematics. Taylor & Francis. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-89116-355-8.
  8. ^ Thomas Wallace Wright (1896). Elements of Mechanics Including Kinematics, Kinetics and Statics. E and FN Spon. Chapter 1.
  9. ^ At the start of The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Richard Feynman offers the atomic hypothesis as the single most prolific scientific concept: "If, in some cataclysm, all [] scientific knowledge were to be destroyed [save] one sentence [...] what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is [...] that all things are made up of atoms – little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another ..." (Feynman, Leighton & Sands 1963, p. I-2)
  10. ^ "Physical science is that department of knowledge which relates to the order of nature, or, in other words, to the regular succession of events." (Maxwell 1878, p. 9)

Works cited[edit]

External links[edit]

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