When you study physics course in Malaysia, you probably know that you do not just study mere physics in general. There are a lot of branches that focus on certain aspects of physics, and it has been so throughout history.
The easiest way to categorize physical branches is to break them into two categories: classical and modern. Classical physics are applied between the Renaissance period and the beginning of the 20th century. They are still studied and relevant today, only more developed as the modern time goes on.
Modern physics are branches that arose from the 20th century to the present day, and it focuses on tinier particles, precise measurements and broader laws that left impacts on how we study and understand the world’s mechanisms to this day.
Meanwhile, classical physics focuses on light, sound, mechanics, wave motion, sound, heat, thermodynamics and electromagnetism.
Here are a few branches that you will commonly hear about, classical or modern.
You study sound waves and sounds themselves from gases, liquids and solids. Acoustics also involves the applications of shock and vibration, seismic waves, music, noise, communication, hearing, underwater and atmospheric sounds.
The study of space as you know it, including planets, stars, galaxies, deep space and the universe. It is one of the oldest sciences in human history, applying other scientific disciplines including mathematics and chemistry to understand everything beyond our world.
The study of electricity, especially the flow of electrons. As a related category, you have electromagnetism, which studies electrical and magnetic fields.
Mechanics is about studying the motions of objects or organisms when force is applied or when they are at rest in different environments and displacements. Force, matter and motion are among the subjects of mechanics, and if you are wondering, you are correct to think that it looks into the laws of motion, gravitation, friction and other related subjects.
Astrophysics is today interchangeable with astronomy as it studies the physical properties of objects in space.
Atomic physics is about looking into the parts of an atom and understanding the behaviours of electrons in the shells outside the atom’s nucleus. Dealing with electrons, ions and neutral atoms, it also recognizes first that every matter is composed of atoms.
Don’t be confused with atomic physics now. The latter is about studying the atoms themselves. The atomic nuclei is its focus when it comes to the composition, behaviour and interactions.
Applied to many academic and research areas, the applications of nuclear physics include power generation, imaging, magnetic resonance, industrial and agricultural isotopes and yes, as pictured since you hear the term “nuclear physics,” nuclear weapons.
If you are a physicist studying light, optics is the name of your field. Optics observe and understand light’s properties, behaviours, interactions with other matter, and the changes of both behaviours and interactions. There are two branches of optics: physical and geometrical.
Physical investigates the nature of light and other properties while geometrical focuses on light’s interaction to devices such as lenses and mirrors.
If you are thinking of glasses while reading about optics, you are not very far off, especially since this field is the reason why glasses work for your blurry sight.