The Importance of Physics and Why You Should Study It!

Another Article bringing Physics to the Community by CanSat of St. Josephs College in Borrisoleigh

Physics gives us a whole new unique perspective on life. Our understanding of the world around us develops with each new physical discovery. This new world that unfolds around us lets us question much more, on levels which we have never considered before. And what are we as humans if not curious?

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For this exact reason, we are making and sending out the satellite into our atmosphere. By doing this we are challenging ourselves and to satisfy our curiosity by gathering information about the earth.

What many people don’t realise, is that everything in the universe can be measured and calculated. As Sir James Jeans said, “God is a Mathematician”. This is what fascinated me most when learning about physics. All motion in the universe, for example, can be summarised by Newton’s Three Laws.

Newton’s first law states that every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. This means that when an object isn’t moving, it won’t move, unless something makes it. And a moving object will keep moving unless something stops it.

This may not make sense as you first think about it, because everything has to stop sometime right? But in physics, we have to take every force into account and on Earth, forces such as gravity and air resistance act on everything. Ultimately those forces are what brings everything to a halt on our planet. But in a perfect vacuum, with no obstructions, if you throw a ball, the ball will not stop. Therefore, there’d be no hurling in space!

Newton’s second law deals with the relationship for Force with mass and acceleration: F=ma

i.e. Force= mass x acceleration

This is used in various calculations. Basically, the faster something is accelerating, and the more mass it has, the more force it carries. That is exactly why you don’t want Paul O’Connell building up speed before he tackles you!

Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is illustrated best by the example of a gun. As you fire a pistol, a bullet shoots out from the front but the recoil pushes your hand back. The same force that pushed the bullet out the barrel, pushes the gun back into your hand.

And that’s it, the motion of the universe, summed up in three laws which one can apply and use to send a spaceship into space, or design the next faster car in the world. Or, in the case of our little satellite, measure the forces acting upon it.


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