What is Physics?Derek Raine (and many others)

www.le.ac.uk/leap

P rojec t

www.le.ac.uk/i-science www.integratedsciences.org

www.ou.ac.uk/picetl

Here’s one definition…

Standard model Lagrangian:

**2

222

2

22

20

42

0

32

22

212

12202

1241

20

222

1**21

41

22

21

204

14122

21

),,(

)()(cos2

cos

cossin2

482

)(

)()(

)()](

~[

WDWDWZWZWDWDWZWZig

WWZZWWZZg

WWWWZAig

WWWWWWWWghmhm

ZZggWWghh

WWgWDWDWDWD

AA

ZZggZZhmhheeeem

eiDeLiDL

w

w

ww

LRRLe

RRe

and the rest…

)]()([

)3/()3/(~

)3/2()3/2(~

LRRLuRRLLd

RRLL

flavoursRRLL

uuuumddddm

uAeiiuuAeiid

uAeiiuuAeiiu

]sin)3/2()2sin(

)sin)3/2(1()2sin(

~

sin)3/4()2sin(

)sin)3/4(1()2sin(

[

22

22

ww

RRww

LL

ww

RRww

RL

Ze

ddZe

dd

Ze

uuZe

uu

..~

~

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),,(sin2

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tcue

L

L

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ubusud

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])([8

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ffffa flavours

faa qqmqigGiqGG

+ gravity

Here’s another definition:

the science of matter and energy and their interactions

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Physics (from the Greek, φυσικός (phusikos), "natural", and φύσις (phusis), "nature") is the science of Nature in the broadest sense. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics

Physics is an instrumental band from San Diego, California, USA that has featured a rotating cast of musicians, but is currently composed of Jeff Coad and Will Goff on synths, Rob Crow, Jason Soares, and John Goff on guitars, and Cameron Jones on drums. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_(band)

Physics (or "Physica", or "Physicae Auscultationes" meaning "lessons") is a key text in the philosophy of Aristotle

And from good old Wikipedia

Why do we need to ask the question?

The European Union (EU) has set a goal of becoming "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010."

National Science Board. 2004. Science and Engineering Indicators 2004. Two volumes. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation (volume 1, NSB 04-1; volume 2, NSB 04-1A).

Growth of university science education

Growth in higher education in the UK

participation rate in HE in the UK

16

3233

0

10

20

30

40

1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

year

pe

rce

nta

ge

p

art

icip

ati

on

The retreat from science

• After instruction, students, on average, are found to be less expert-like in their thinking than before. They see physics as less connected to the real world, less interesting, and more as something to be memorized without understanding. This is true in almost all courses, including those with teaching practices that have substantially improved conceptual mastery.

• CLASS Categories

• Reality Personal View Physics is part of the student’s life – student cares about physics.• Reality World View Physics describes phenomena in the World around us.• Math Mathematical formulae describe physical phenomena.• Sense Making It is important to me to make sense out of things when learning physics.• Metacognition Awareness of what is necessary to learn and understand physics – self reflection.• How to Learn Best learned by memorization of facts and methods without understanding.• Coherence Physics consists of connected ideas.

• Calc-I LSRU/Fa03 engineers 63% 65% • Calc-I MMSU/Fa03 physics maj 64% 54%

The Design and Validation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science SurveyW. K. Adams, K. K. Perkins, M. Dubson, N. D. Finkelstein and C. E. Wieman

CLASS (Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey).htm

Attitudes to physics and chemistry

The UK External Environment

University entrants 1985-1999 (scaled to total)

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0.04

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

year

frac

tio

n o

f en

tran

ts p

er s

ub

ject

Physics

Maths

Chemistry

Biology

since 1994, the number of UK universities offering degrees in physics has declined from 79 to 51

Physics BSc graduates working in the UK

Physics related employment

Information Technology

Mechanics and RelativityClassical mechanics: Newton’s laws, conservation laws, rotation, Newtonian gravitation, Kepler’s laws, Special relativity to the level of: Lorentz transformations and energy momentum relationship

Quantum PhysicsBackground to QM to include:Black body radiation, Photoelectric effect, Wave-particle duality, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle

Schrödinger wave equation to include:Wave function and its interpretation, Standard solutions and quantum numbers, to the level of the hydrogen atom, Tunnelling, First order time independent perturbation theory

Atomic, nuclear and particle physics to include:Quantum structure and spectra of simple atoms, Nuclear masses and binding energies, Radioactive decay, fission and fusion, Pauli exclusion principle, fermions and bosons and elementary particles, Fundamental forces and the Standard Model

Condensed Matter PhysicsMechanical properties of matter to include elasticity and thermal expansion, Inter-atomic forces and bonding, Phonons and heat capacity, Crystal structure and Bragg scattering, Electron theory of solids to the level of simple band structure, Semiconductors and doping, Magnetic properties of matter

Oscillations and Waves Free, damped, forced and coupled oscillations to include resonance and normal modes, Waves in linear media to the level of group velocity, Waves on strings, sound waves and EM waves, Doppler effect

ElectromagnetismElectrostatics and magnetostatics, DC and AC circuit analysis to complex impedance, transients and resonance, Gauss, Faraday, Ampère, Lenz and Lorentz laws to the level of their vector expression, Maxwell’s equations and plane EM wave solution; Poynting vector, EM spectrumPolarisation of waves and behaviour at plane interfaces

17th Century

early 20th Century

early 20th Century

19th Century

19th Century

What is Physics – View from the IOP

OpticsGeometrical optics to the level of simple optical systems, Interference and diffraction at single and multiple apertures, Dispersion by prisms and diffraction gratings, Optical Cavities and laser action

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics Zeroth, first and second laws of thermodynamics:Temperature scales, work, internal energy and heat capacity, Entropy, free energies and the Carnot Cycle, Changes of state

Statistical mechanics:Kinetic theory of gases and the gas laws to Van der Waals equation, Statistical basis of entropyMaxwell-Boltzmann distribution, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, Density of states and partition function

mainly 19th Century

18th – 19th Century

early 20th Century

OK – so I’m cheating a bit

– the standard model is 1970s !

A. PHYSICS SKILLSStudents should learn:1 How to tackle problems in physics and formulate an appropriate solution.For example, they should learn how to identify the appropriate physical principles; how to use special and limiting cases, dimensional analysis andorder-of-magnitude estimates to guide their thinking about a problem; and how to present the solution making their assumptions explicit.

2 How to use mathematics to describe the physical world. They should know how to turn a physics problem into a mathematical form and have an understanding of mathematical modelling and of the role of approximation.

3 How to plan, execute and report the results of an experiment orinvestigation. All graduates of an accredited degree programme should have some appreciation of physics as an experimental science. They should have an understanding of the elements of experiment and observation and should therefore be able to• plan an experimental investigation; • use apparatus to acquire experimental data; • analyse data using appropriate techniques; • determine and interpret the measurement uncertainties (both systematic and random) in a measurement or observation; • report the results of an investigation; • understand how regulatory issues such as health and safety influencescientific experimentation and observation. For many degree programmes, experimental work in a conventional laboratorycourse will be a vital and challenging part and will provide students with the skills necessary to plan an investigation and collect and analyse data. However, these required skills may also be acquired through computer simulation, paper exercises with appropriate data, or case studies using real experimental data from a published source. Other methods may be usedprovided they meet the above objectives.

4 How to compare results critically with predictions from theory. Students should understand the concept of using data to test a hypothesis and be able to assess the reliability of data, to

understand the significance of results, and to relate results from numerical modelling or experiment to the relevant theory.

B. TRANSFERABLE SKILLSA Physics degree should enhanceProblem-solving skillsPhysics degree programmes involve students in solving physics problems with well-defined solutions. They should also gain experience in tackling open-ended problems. Students should develop their ability to formulate problems in precise terms and to identify key issues. They should develop the confidence to try different approaches in order to make progress on challenging problems.

Investigative SkillsStudents should have opportunities to develop their skills of independent investigation. They should develop the ability to find information by using textbooks and other available literature, by searching databases and the Internet, and through discussions with colleagues.

Communications skillsA physics degree should develop students’ ability to communicate complex information effectively and concisely by means of written documents, presentations or discussion. Students should be able to use technical language appropriately.

Analytical skillsStudents should develop their ability to grasp complex concepts, to understand and interpret data precisely and to construct logical arguments. They should be able to distil a problem to its basic elements.

IT skillsStudents should become familiar with appropriate software such as programming languages and packages. They should develop their computing and IT skills in a variety of areas including the preparation of documents, information searches,numerical calculations, and the manipulation and presentation of data.

Personal skillsStudents should develop their ability to work independently, to use their initiative and to organise themselves to meet deadlines. They should gain experience of group work and be able to interact constructively with other people.

UnitsAveragesRates of changeOrders of magnitudeEstimatesProportionalityIntensive and extensive variablesGraphical analysisDerivation of hypothesis from experimentDiscrediting of a hypothesis by experimentClassic experiments overturning prior beliefsUse of a physical law for predictionPhenomenological lawsPhysical Reductionism

Use of Analogies Mathematical modelsChange of frames of reference SymmetryConservation laws, (energy, momentum)Open and closed systemsEquilibrium, dynamic equilibriumIrreversibilityDescription of bulk properties in terms of constituentsFluctuationsTransportWave conceptsResonanceFrequency spacePhase spaceConcept of a fieldQuantum properties

Science education and economic development

The Relevance of Science Education study, which looked at 15-year-olds in 40 countries, found a 0.92 negative correlation between attitudes to school science and the UN index of human development.

Problem-based learning

Motion in 1D Problem: The lead shot used in shotgun cartridges consists of small spherical pellets 2-3mm in diameter made by pouring molten lead through a frame suspended in a high tower, a method used since its invention by William Watts in 1782. In order to produce spherical shot the lead must solidify before the pellet has reached terminal velocity. How high should the tower be?

Motion in the plane Problem A design for a spaceship that would also function as an orbital space station might look like the dumbell form of Spaceship USS Discovery 1 from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The picture shows an artist’s impression with the spaceship moving round the Earth oriented like a plane flying through the air. Is there anything wrong with this?

Circular OrbitsEquilibrium and StabilityDynamics of rotational motionSimple Harmonic Motion

Dimensional analysisKinematicsDynamicsConservation laws

Oscillations

and Waves

Problem: The Tour Sans Fins ("Tower Without Ends") was a tower planned in La Defénse that has since been cancelled. The spelling Tour Sans Fins (rather than the apparently correct French fin) comes from the idea that this tower had no ends, even if one looked up or down at it, hence "ends" and not "end". The Tour Sans Fins was meant to be 400m tall and would have been the tallest skyscraper in Europe. Problem: An ocean-based tsunami detection buoy has been successfully deployed 1200km southeast of Tasmania. How much warning will this give?

Current electricity

Problem: Heart defibrillators, which are used to restore a regular heart beat, stimulate the heart to contract by delivering a short current pulse of duration 20 ms. In one type of defibrillator a capacitor is charged to a suitable voltage and then discharged through the patient's chest with the aid of two large electrodes. The defibrillator needs to be able to deliver pulses of up to 360 J to patients with transchest resistances ranging up to 150 ohms. Estimate values for capacitance and voltage needed to cope with these requirements. Problem: The figure shows a proposed device for measuring oil level. As the oil level changes so does the capacitance. At a certain level the speaker sounds as a warning. What values of the circuit elements could be used?

ResistanceCapacitorsAC circuits

OscillatorsProjectilesProperties of wavesWater waves

Oil level in capacitor

AC source

speaker

Resistor

Motion in 1D Dimensional analysis, KinematicsDynamics, Conservation laws

Problem: Making lead shot

Motion in the plane Circular OrbitsEquilibrium and StabilityDynamics of rotational motionSimple Harmonic Motion

Problem: What’s wrong with the artists impression?

Oscillations and Waves Oscillators, Projectiles, Properties of waves, Water waves

Problem: The Tour Sans Fins ("Tower Without Ends") Problem: Warning from an ocean-based tsunami detection buoy?

Current electricity Resistance, Capacitors, AC circuits

Problem: Heart defibrillatorsProblem: Oil level warning

Electric & Magnetic Fields Electric fields, Fields and potentials, Capacitance, Currents and magnetic fields

Problem: How can linesmen work safely on live wires?

Magnetic Fields Dipole fieldsMagnetic InductionMagnetic forces

Problem: What is happening in the pictures?

Magnetic materials Magnetic forces in Equilibrium Paramagnetism, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnets, Diamagnetism

Problem: Can a frog levitiate?

Electromagnetic wavesElectromagnetic waves, Fields at Boundaries, Reflection and refraction, Water pipes in the desert

Problem: Detecting leaking water pipes in the desert.

Geometrical opticsReflection, Refraction , Lenses

Problem: How do glasses work?

Physical Optics Wave properties and superposition,Interference, Diffraction

Problem: Explain a diffraction pattern

Atomic structure Problem: Detecting Atmospheric contaminants

Nuclei and radioactivity Problem: Oklo mine natural reactor.

Quantum phenomena Problem: Teleportation

Heat Problem: Towing icebergs

Thermodynamics Problem: The gas pressure driven car

Solids and fluids Problem: Biophysics of Giraffes, Sharks, Fleas, Antelopes, Flies and Trees

Condensed matter Problem: Nanobiomarkers

Transport properties Problem: UltraKleene

Relativity Problem: GPS

Astrophysics Problem: How did the Universe grow?

PBL Problem Physics Topics

The White Knuckle Toy Newtonian dynamics, oscillations, damping

Crosswind Warning Electrostatics, induction, steady currents, fluids

The Art of Glass Geometric and wave optics

UltraKleene Kinetic theory, Diffusion

Chocolate Factory Alarm Circuits, AC theory

Space Tether Newtonian gravity, elasticity

Solid State Traffic Lights Semi-conductors, LEDs

Desert Pipeline Leak Electromagnetic theory

Transporter Quantum theory

Air Quality Spectroscopy

Another curriculum!!

Interdisciplinary Challenges

• Global warming

Interdisciplinary Challenges

• Biodiversity

Interdisciplinary Challenges

Sustainability

Interdisciplinarity

Interdisciplinarity

Random Walk (Brownian Motion)

Interdisciplinarity

Interdisciplinarity