BRANCHES

Optics

The study of light and its properties, including how it interacts with objects. Optics can be divided into geometrical and classical optics. Geometrical optics focuses on how light interacts with lenses, mirrors, and other devices, while classical optics focuses on other phenomena and behaviors, such as reflection, refraction, absorption, and emission.

Thermodynamics

The study of how heat transforms from one form to another, including its relationship to other forms of energy, temperature, work, and statistics of systems with many particles.

Electromagnetism

The study of electricity and magnetism, which have been studied together since the early 19th century because of their close connection. An electric current can create a magnetic field, and a changing magnetic field can create an electric current. Electrostatics studies electric charges at rest, electrodynamics studies moving charges, and magnetostatics studies magnetic poles at rest.

Quantum mechanics

The study of the physical properties, motion, and energy of atoms and subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons, and neutrons.

Relativity theory

The study of how objects move at any speed, including the speed of light.

Nuclear physics

The study of the nucleus of atoms and how its constituents interact. A large part of nuclear physics today focuses on harvesting energy from nuclear reactions.

Astrophysics

An interdisciplinary science that applies the principles of physics and chemistry to astronomy to study astronomical objects and phenomena, and to understand the universe and our place in it.