What I learned from Physics class

Carlos G Bolivar Vincenty

Throughout the semester we have studied many different topics in physics. These range from the motion of a car to the properties of sound. This physics course has allowed me to better understand the universe and the events that take place within it. Two particular aspects of the course I found interesting were gravitation and the conservation of energy. These two topics are fascinating because they are essential phenomena in order for the universe to function as it does. These concepts, along with many others we learned during the semester help us appreciate the beauty of the universe, and make predictions as to how it should behave.

            Gravity is an aspect of nature we tend to take for granted. We do not usually question the tendency of objects to fall towards the ground, or the tendency of the moon to maintain an orbit around the earth. Despite this, men such as Galileo and Newton questioned these phenomena and sought to understand them. Newton, in particular, realized that gravity not only worked to attract objects close to its surface, but that Earth also exerted a gravitational attraction on very far objects such as the moon. Newton went even further and suggested that all objects in the universe attract each other. One of the reasons gravitation is so fascinating is that it is absolutely essential to the functioning of the universe. Without gravity, the Earth would not be able to maintain the centripetal acceleration that allows it to orbit around the Sun. Furthermore, no object on Earth would be able to remain on its surface. Newton not only explained this gravitational force theoretically; he also derived a quantitative relationship between the masses of the objects, the distance between them, and the gravitational force. This is truly one of the amazing accomplishments of physics because it helps us understand the behavior of objects close to the surface of the Earth as well as those of the planets, stars, etc.

            Another topic we studied this semester that I found interesting was the conservation of energy. The fact that all the energy in the universe is conserved is truly amazing. One important consequence of this the conservation of energy is that energy can never be created; only converted from one form to another. Given the limited quantity of energy sources such as petroleum, the discovery of efficient energy sources is extremely important to our society. We need energy to power our homes, cars, electronics, etc. Physics allows us to explore the properties of energy. This knowledge helps us investigate alternate, more efficient energy sources. The development of alternative energy sources is extremely important for the future of society.

            As can be seen, physics plays a role in many aspects of our lives. It allows us to explain many of the natural phenomena that we observe everyday such as motion, heat, and sound. Apart from helping us understand the world around us, physics also gives us the tools to improve our society.  Given its many applications, understanding physics is not only beneficial, but essential to our society.