Physics
Physics is the science that asks how the universe behaves at its most basic level. It seeks to describe motion, force, energy, and the interactions between matter through a small set of principles that can be tested by measurement. Those principles underpin nearly every other science and every modern technology, from engineering bridges and designing vehicles to predicting weather and launching satellites. This guide introduces the core branches of classical physics, each of which opens into its own detailed article.
Units and Dimensions
This branch introduces the measurement framework that physics depends on. It explains what units and dimensions are and how they classify every physical quantity, which makes it possible to compare results and check whether equations are consistent. Without this shared language, no measurement in physics would have a precise meaning.
Kinematics
Kinematics describes how objects move, using position, velocity, and acceleration, without asking what causes the motion. It is the descriptive foundation of mechanics, and the child branches treat motion in one dimension and in a plane. Mastering it gives you the vocabulary needed to analyze any moving system.
Force and Motion
This branch explains how forces change the motion of objects. Newton's laws connect net force, mass, and acceleration, turning description into prediction. Its child branches develop the laws themselves, free-body analysis, and the common forces encountered in everyday situations.
Work, Power and Energy
This branch examines how forces transfer energy to objects and how that energy is stored, transformed, and conserved. Energy provides a powerful alternative to tracking forces directly, often making difficult problems simpler. The child branches cover work, the principal forms of energy, conservation principles, and power, which measures how quickly energy is transferred.
Gravitation
Gravitation describes the attractive force between any two masses and its consequences. It accounts for weight at Earth's surface, the orbits of satellites, and the motion of planets around the Sun. The child branches cover the universal law of gravitation, gravitational fields and potential energy, and orbital motion.