What Is Physics?

Physics is about observing and trying to understand the nature and properties of the things around us.

You need no previous scientific knowledge to fully participate in the U3A physics group and some of the interesting questions the group may discuss in the future are listed below.

Matter:

• What are atoms and how do they combine to form the materials we see around us?

Energy:

• What is energy and how many different forms of energy are there?

Thermodynamics:

• What is heat and temperature?

Mechanics:

• What are physical forces and how many different types of force do we experience?

Fields and waves:

• What is a wave and what is a magnetic field?

Electricity and magnetism:

• What is an electric current and how is it related to magnetism?

Astronomy:

• Why does the Sun shine and what is light?

The Universe:

• What are galaxies and are they all the same?

Planetary Science:

• How did the Earth and the other planets form?