What Is Physics?

Just what is physics? To sum it all up in the easiest of terms, physics is the study of matter
and energy, and how they relate to one another. Some people, especially those more
creatively inclined, might want to look at it in terms of form and content-form being
matter, and content being energy.
Energy may manifest itself in many forms, such as light, motion, gravity, radiation,
electricity, and others. Matter, on the other hand, covers any and every physical
manifestation, from the smallest particles such as atoms and sub-atomic particles, further
into larger physical groups such as stars, universes, and galaxies.
Physics can also be described as the science dealing with physical quantities. In this regard,
physics is widely considered to be the most fundamental (and important) of all the natural
sciences. After all, physics pertains to the quantification of almost all matter that exists in
this world. It is any aspect of nature that can be expressed, measured or calculated in
specific terms. An appreciation of the world we live in and all its elements that can be
observed by the five physical senses could be considered as physics in its most general
sense.
In this regard, physics and mathematics are closely related to one another. It could be said
that mathematics is the language of physics. That is another way of better understanding
what is physics. Numerical values, units of measurement, and similar concepts are all
mathematical in nature, and are used to describe physical quantities in the most accurate
and precise manner.
Thus, these physical quantities form the basis of study of other branches of science, such
as chemistry, biology, engineering, and others. The information, facts, and concepts
covered in these sciences can all be appreciated and explained only through physical
quantities and physical laws. Biology as the study of living things would also necessitate an
understanding of the physical laws that govern nature, humans, animals, their body parts,
organs, systems-after all, they are all physical manifestations of their existence here on
earth. Chemistry, on the other hand, is the study of processes, reactions, and interaction
among physical elements on the subatomic level-which is again a realm of physics.
The importance of physics as a fundamental science can also be appreciated by its basic
processes, which are either experimental or theoretical. Experimental physics makes use of
the scientific method of creating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, observing the
results, and coming to a conclusion regarding the natural world. The end-goal of these
experiments is to establish scientific laws, which seek to understand and predict
phenomena and occurrences in the natural world.