Modern and Historical Concepts in Physics, Essay Example

The Life of a Historical Figure

Many men contributed to our current understanding of physics during a time in which little was known about science. One of the most well-known historical figures that played an important role in our understanding of the field today was Sir Isaac Newton. He worked to combine his knowledge of mathematics with unraveling the mysteries concerning how the world works. Specifically, he concentrated on determining the laws that guide how things move and stop moving. These are currently called the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

Newton was able to contribute significantly to physics primarily due to his privileged upbringing. He learned about the findings of classical physicists from an early age and wished to contribute to their understanding of the laws of the universe. Although Newton made many deep insights into the physical world that are used in scientific and medical studies today, the most common use of his work contributes to the understanding of the relationship between force and motion. Ultimately, if force is applied to an object, it will move if the net force is greater than zero. He accounted for opposing forces as well, such as friction, in the determination of his laws.

Newton made many additional useful contributions to science as well. For example, he developed the first reflecting telescope, which we have continued to enhance to see more and more distant locations today. Also, along with a colleague, he is responsible for developing calculus, which has also allowed modern man to develop a greater understanding of technology.

A Scientist Who Specialized in Physics

Even though Isaac Newton made many contributions to the modern world, it is essential to emphasize his understandings of motion and gravitational force. The first law of motion states that “every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it” (Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, n.d). Thus, if an object is not moving, we must push it in the appropriate direction with the correct amount of force in order to ensure that it does so. The second law of motion is based off of Galileo’s concept of inertia and states “The relationship between an object’s mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma”. This relationship can help us understand the specific amount of force required to overcome the resting friction of an object. The third law of motion states “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. For example, if we use our own body strength to push something, it will move in the direction opposite of the direction in which the force was applied.

These three laws help us understand more significantly how the world works. For example, it states that if we push a heavy object, it may not move if we cannot apply enough force. Ultimately, these laws clarify how we must interact with the objects around us in order to achieve certain results. This is applicable in both our daily lives and in the construction of machinery and other devices that are used to make our lives easier.

A Current Debate in the Field

A current debate in the field of physics is directly related to the understanding of the universe that scientists such as Isaac Newton have put in place. “Physicists routinely describe the universe as being made of tiny subatomic particles that push and pull on one another by means of force field” (Kuhlmann, 2014). However, much of the knowledge that has been revealed by quantum physics proposes that the world may not be made up or particles or fields, as previously thought. Therefore, there are two opposing scientific groups that are attempting to determine whether the classical scientists have been correct in their understanding of the world, or if there is an additional particle that plays a part in the role of the construction of the universe.

Teach a Concept Related to the Field

In order to be certain that something other than particles and fields can exist in the construction of the universe, it is necessary to first understand what quantum physics is and what it describes. Ultimately, conventional quantum physics acts to describe the nature and behavior of matter and energy at the subatomic level (whatis, n.d.). The first understanding of this field occurred when scientists recognized that the atom was made up of even smaller units, called electrons, protons, and neutrons. This allowed scientists to gain a greater understanding of how matter works. However, modern scientists searched these atoms more thoroughly in order to determine whether it was possible for these small particles to be made up of even smaller particles.

Recently, much smaller particles have certainly been revealed, among which quarks and quasars are a much focused on component. Other small particles have been revealed as well, and scientists believe that the more we can understand these smaller component particles, the greater idea we will have of how matter works in the universe overall.

References

Kuhlmann M. (2014). Physicists Debate Whether the World Is Made of Particles or Fields–or Something Else Entirely. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physicists-debate-whether-world-made-of-particles-fields-or-something-else/

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newton3laws.html

Whatis. (n.d.). Quantum Theory. Retrieved from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/quantum-theory