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The Nature of Physics

The science of physics has developed out of the efforts of men and women to explain our physical environment. These efforts have been so successful that the laws of physics now encompass a remarkable variety of phenomena, including planetary orbits, radio and TV waves, magnetism, and lasers, to name just a few.
The exciting feature of physics is its capacity for predicting how nature will behave in one situation on the basis of experimental data obtained in another situation. Such predictions place physics at the heart of modern technology and, therefore, can have a tremendous impact on our lives. Rocketry and the development of space travel have their roots firmly planted in the physical laws of Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) and Isaac Newton (1642–1727). The transportation industry relies heavily on physics in the development of engines and the design of aerodynamic vehicles. Entire electronics and computer industries owe their existence to the invention of the transistor, which grew directly out of the laws of physics that describe the electrical behavior of solids. The telecommunications industry depends extensively on electromagnetic waves, whose existence was predicted by James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) in his theory of electricity and magnetism. The medical profession uses X-ray, ultrasonic, and magnetic resonance methods for obtaining images of the interior of the human body, and physics lies at the core of all these.
Perhaps the most widespread impact in modern technology is that due to the laser. Fields ranging from space exploration to medicine benefit from this incredible device, which is a direct application of the principles of atomic physics.
Because physics is so fundamental, it is a required course for students in a wide range of major areas. We welcome you to the study of this fascinating topic. You will learn how to see the world through the “eyes” of physics and to reason as a physicist does. In the process, you will learn how to apply physics principles to a wide range of problems. We hope that you will come to recognize that physics has important things to say about your environment.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.