The applications of physics in everyday life are numerous. We use physics in our everyday life activities such as walking, playing, watching, listening, cutting, cooking, and opening and closing things. Let's have a look at the main application areas of physics!
Applications of Physics |
What are the Applications of Physics in Everyday Life?
Physics has many applications in everyday life. The importance of physics is highlighted by the many applications of physics in our daily lives.
Physics is a branch of science that deals with matter, its nature and properties, and deals with heat, mechanics, light, electricity, magnetism, the shape of atoms and sound.
Physics is a science that asks basic questions about life and finds answers through observation and experimentation. Physicists attempt to answer life's fundamental questions through purely observational and research methods. In return, they come up with discoveries and inventions that enhance our way of life through their technical support.
Today we find applications of physics in inventions such as: mobile phones, computer applications, game consoles, DVD players and other electronic products.
There are various branches of physics that all STEM students should know. Physics has contributed to huge technological advances and knowledge revolutions that enabled scientists to find an easier way to carry out all daily life activities. For example, medical tools, such as X-rays or laser operations, would not be possible without this branch of science. It is also present in most everyday objects such as telephones, televisions, and almost all electronic devices.
Without physics, planes cannot fly as well, cars cannot move and buildings cannot be built. Almost all things are related to physics in one way or another.
Major Application Areas of Physics
The applications of physics in everyday life are numerous. Major application areas of physics may include the following:
In the Field of Transportation and Movement
The motion of all bodies is based on the presence of an external force acting on them as stated in Newton's Laws of Motion, which describes the relationship between the motion of bodies and the external force acting on them.
There are many applications that cannot be limited to the laws of motion that humans use in their daily lives, such as cars, trains, and planes, but how are these devices and applications controlled?
Engines in transportation applications such as cars represent the external driving force, allowing those applications to move and change positions. And on the contrary, the brakes and public safety tools such as the seat belt represent an external force opposite to the engines, to stop the movement of objects, thus resisting the occurrence of slips and accidents.
In the Field of Aviation and Space Science
The study of physics is not limited to what is happening on the surface of the Earth. Scientists have tried to study everything that goes on in space, so they knew astronomical objects such as stars, planets, and black holes, and monitored their movement, radiation, colors and locations, and developed many tools that helped them learn more about what is going on in outer space, such as terrestrial telescopes.
The scientists also analyzed the radiation reaching the Earth's surface and the solar radiation spectrum lines, through which they were able to know the layers of the Earth's atmosphere and the transfer of energy through it to know the conditions of the climate in addition to the gases in outer space.
Physics also plays a key role in the manufacture of aircraft and space rockets according to Newton's laws of motion.
In the Field of Technology and Computer Science
Physics is an experimental science, and sometimes it may not be possible to build real experiments for some theories. Scientists are satisfied with building a mathematical model to understand physical phenomena based on mathematical and physical expressions, but this is not enough to prove or disprove a theory.
With the advancement of science and technology, it has become possible for scientists to find a medium that takes the place of experimental physics, but without risk.
Physical problems are nothing but a set of sequential algorithms. If these models are built using a computer, it becomes possible to test those models in a clear manner and without any losses.
With the success of many simulation experiments for some physical theories, however, there are some obstacles and challenges that scientists are facing when performing simulations, such as the difficulty of translating a computer algorithm due to the difficulty and complexity of the physical problem, or the chaos of some physical systems, which makes it difficult to reach logical and correct solutions.
In the Field of Energy
Energy exists in many forms in this world, and it is utilized either directly, or by converting it to other forms of energy. There is solar energy, kinetic energy, electric energy, and wind energy, and the conversion between these different forms of energy is carried out through specific physical principles.
Examples include:
Electricity:
Electricity is one of the most important direct physical applications in people's lives and a major source of energy. It is a continuous stream of electric charges moving inside a conductor forming what is known as electric current.
The importance of electricity can be understood from the situation in which people live during the minutes when the electricity is cut off from the homes. All electrical appliances stop working, the lights go out, and the way of life becomes difficult.
Solar Cells:
With the need for alternative sources of fossil fuels, solar cells have become an important source of electrical energy, as solar energy is converted into electrical or thermal energy by solar cells. But there are still some problems in solar systems, which limit the large utilization of the sun's energy, as solar cells are still under development and research to suit the requirements of today's life at a reasonable and affordable cost.
Wind Pumps:
A Windpump is a device for moving water by wind power. It is used for pumping water in remote and rural areas that suffer from scarce water and electric energy sources.
Although these pumps are inefficient compared to today's electric pumps, they can be considered an important source of water in those areas.
In the Field of Medicine
Like other scientific fields, medicine also benefits from physics. There are many medical devices and technologies that depend on the uses and principles of physics in their work, and the most important of these applications are:
Medical Imaging Equipment:
Imaging devices are important applications in medical physics, through which it is possible to diagnose diseases through many physical techniques, such as x-rays that image the skeleton, and ultrasound (ultrasound) that enables to capture of various moving images of specific parts of the body, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines that take clear pictures of the organs of the body and the brain in particular.
Radiation Oncology:
It has become common to use radiation to treat cancerous tumors of all kinds, where the doctor uses radiation either as a primary treatment in killing cancer cells or limiting their spread or as adjuvant therapy in addition to surgery and chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.
Laser Surgery
Laser surgery relies on a type of light ray. Laser is an alternative to traditional methods such as scalpels in special cases such as soft tissues, where laser vision correction procedures are common.
There are many laser surgery options such as lithotripsy, laser endoscopy, and cosmetic surgeries to remove scars and wounds.
In Communications and Satellites
Satellites are one of the most important applications of astrophysics, as they are human-made devices to revolve around the Earth or around other planets in certain orbits similar to natural satellites. The first artificial satellite was successfully launched by the USSR on 4 October 1957, which was named Sputnik-1.
The most important thing that distinguishes the satellites from each other is the purpose of their launch, as the goals vary as follows:
- Astronomical satellites for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects.
- Weather satellites for monitoring the weather and climate of the Earth.
- Satellites for military purposes.
- Satellites for television broadcasting and communications.
Conclusion:
Physics has different branches such as classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, relativistic mechanics, quantum mechanics, atomic physics, molecular physics, thermodynamics, nuclear physics, electromagnetism, photonics, optics, acoustics and many more. Every branch of physics has its own significance in our lives.
The scope of physics is astounding. It has applications ranging from phenomena studying subatomic particles to important aspects of astrophysics.
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