Physics
<p><b>Physics</b> (from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek">Ancient Greek</a>: φυσική (ἐπιστήμη) <i>phusikḗ (epistḗmē)</i> "knowledge of nature", from φύσις <i>phúsis</i> "nature"<sup id="cite_ref-etymonline-physics_1-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-etymonline-physics-1">[1]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-etymonline-physic_2-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-etymonline-physic-2">[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-LSJ_3-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-LSJ-3">[3]</a></sup>) is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_science" title="Natural science">natural science</a> that involves the study of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter" title="Matter">matter</a><sup id="cite_ref-feynmanleightonsands1963-atomic_4-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-feynmanleightonsands1963-atomic-4">[4]</a></sup> and its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_%28physics%29" title="Motion (physics)">motion</a> through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime" title="Spacetime">space and time</a>, along with related concepts such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force" title="Force">force</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-maxwell1878-physicalscience_5-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-maxwell1878-physicalscience-5">[5]</a></sup></p>
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One of the most fundamental scientific disciplines, the main goal of physics is to understand how the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">universe</a> behaves.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-6">[a]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-youngfreedman2014p1_7-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-youngfreedman2014p1-7">[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-youngfreedman2014p2_8-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-youngfreedman2014p2-8">[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-holzner2003-physics_9-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-holzner2003-physics-9">[8]</a></sup>
Physics is one of the oldest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_discipline" class="mw-redirect" title="Academic discipline">academic disciplines</a>, perhaps the oldest through its inclusion of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy">astronomy</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-krupp2003_10-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-krupp2003-10">[9]</a></sup> </p>
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Over the last two millennia, physics was a part of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_philosophy" title="Natural philosophy">natural philosophy</a> along with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry">chemistry</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology" title="Biology">biology</a>, and certain branches of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics" title="Mathematics">mathematics</a>, but during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_revolution" title="Scientific revolution">scientific revolution</a> in the 17th century, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_science" title="Natural science">natural sciences</a> emerged as unique <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research" title="Research">research</a> programs in their own right.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-11">[b]</a></sup> Physics intersects with many <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdisciplinary" class="mw-redirect" title="Interdisciplinary">interdisciplinary</a> areas of research, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophysics" title="Biophysics">biophysics</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_chemistry" title="Quantum chemistry">quantum chemistry</a>, and the boundaries of physics are not <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demarcation_problem" title="Demarcation problem">rigidly defined</a>. New ideas in physics often explain the fundamental mechanisms of other sciences<sup id="cite_ref-youngfreedman2014p1_7-1" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-youngfreedman2014p1-7">[6]</a></sup> while opening new avenues of research in areas such as mathematics and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy" title="Philosophy">philosophy</a>.
Physics also makes significant contributions through advances in new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology" title="Technology">technologies</a> that arise from theoretical breakthroughs. For example, advances in the understanding of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism" title="Electromagnetism">electromagnetism</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_physics" title="Nuclear physics">nuclear physics</a> led directly to the development of new products that have dramatically transformed modern-day <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society" title="Society">society</a>, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television" title="Television">television</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer" title="Computer">computers</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_appliance" class="mw-redirect" title="Domestic appliance">domestic appliances</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon" title="Nuclear weapon">nuclear weapons</a>;<sup id="cite_ref-youngfreedman2014p1_7-2" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics#cite_note-youngfreedman2014p1-7">[6]</a></sup> advances in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics" title="Thermodynamics">thermodynamics</a> led to the development of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialization" class="mw-redirect" title="Industrialization">industrialization</a>, and advances in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanics" title="Mechanics">mechanics</a> inspired the development of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus" title="Calculus">calculus</a>.</p>