Physics Exam Notes

Motion and Early Physics

• August: Introduction to motion.
• Physics starts with observable phenomena (big objects).
• Galileo: Studied falling objects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
  • Determined that mass does not affect the rate of falling.
  • Studied projectiles.
• Newton: Formalized the laws of motion.

Developments Over Time

• Post-Newton: Slow progress in the 1700s and 1800s.
• Industrial Revolution: Understanding heat as a form of energy (not matter or a fluid).
  • Revolutionary for energy and energy transformations.
• Electricity and magnetism: Integrated into physics.
• Light: Debate over whether light is a particle or a wave.
  • Young's double-slit experiment (early 1800s): Proof that light is a wave.
  • Led to more questions and discoveries.

Late 1800s: A Perceived Dead End

• Physicists thought they had answered most major questions.
• Physics was considered a