Physics

Physics (Greek: φύσις (phúsis), "nature" and φυσικῆ (phusiké), "knowledge of nature") is the branch of science concerned with the fundamental laws of the universe. In the field of physics, the elementary constituents of the universe—matter, energy, space, and time—and their interactions are studied; and systems best understood in terms of these fundamental principles and laws are analyzed. "Physics" (once spelled physike in imitation of Aristotle) formerly consisted of the study of its counterpart, natural philosophy, from classical times until the separation of modern physics from philosophy as a positive science during the nineteenth century.

>Introduction

Since antiquity, natural philosophers have sought to explain physical phenomena and the nature of matter, but the emergence of physics as a modern science began with the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries and continued through the dawn of modern physics in the early 20th century. The field has since continued to expand, with a growing body of research leading to discoveries such as the Standard Model of fundamental particles and a detailed history of the universe, along with revolutionary new technologies like nuclear weapons and semiconductors. Research today progresses on a vast array of topics, including high-temperature superconductivity, quantum computing, the Higgs boson, dark matter and dark energy, and the attempt to develop a theory of quantum gravity. Firmly grounded in observation and experiment, with a rich set of theories expressed in elegant mathematical language, physics has made a multitude of contributions to philosophy, science, and technology.

Discoveries in physics resonate throughout the natural sciences; physics has thus been described as the "fu