LITTLE BOOKS OF BIG FACTS
Written by Bel Richardson
Liquid Matter is all things that take up space, which Heat includes all liquids, solids, and gases. Energy is something that can be transferred between matter, like heat. Work happens when energy is transferred from one bit of matter to another. What is physics?
The field of physics is about Do you think that light is understanding matter and matter or energy? energy and how Solid Light is a form of energy. they interact.
Some of these things, like bombs, have been destructive. Other research has revealed things about our universe and It is a unit What is an of matter. helped us to improve technology. Different elements atom? have atoms with different structures.
Understanding Which of these are made the structure of up of atoms: your bones, atoms has water, our atmosphere? helped us to do amazing things. All of these things are made up of atoms!
By observing time, mass, and Why are distance in physics experiments,
time, mass, we can calculate the work that is done, the energy that is and distance transferred, and how it
important in transforms.
physics? What is the difference if you lift If physics is all about the ways the first ball of Newton’s cradle a that matter interacts and how little or a lot? energy transfers between this How far you lift the first ball changes the work matter, we need ways to record that it can do and the energy that is transferred. energy transfers and If you lift the ball a little, it gently taps the others. transformations. If you lift it a lot, it sends the end ball flying.
Work is all about when What are Heat and work are something is moved by
heat and forms of energy transfer. force, such as bike pedals. Heat can be work in transferred to work, and work can be physics? transferred to heat. Heat is transferred from one bit of matter to another, from hot to cold, When you rub your like how you can be warmed by a hot water bottle. hands together, is heat causing work or is work causing heat? Work is transferring to heat.
What are forces? They affect objects in different ways, depending on things like mass. The power of the force also changes the outcome. One very important force is gravity. We Why can some track gravity by the mass of something, how it speeds things float in up as it falls, and how this is different in water? other environments. Only things with a mass denser than water will have gravity drag it down.
How do we see light and color?
Physics also helps us to understand how light works, Why can’t you including how we see colors. When we see colors, our eyes are catching different wavelengths of light. touch a rainbow? The wavelengths range from short to long. Different objects absorb and reflect different wavelengths, It is made up of light reflecting off mist. and this is why we see things as different colors. The mist is matter, but the light is not.
It also lets us understand how sound How do affects us, other we hear animals, and plants.
sound? Just as our eyes pick up wavelengths How did Beethoven continue to of light, our ears pick up waves of sound. They start from the vibration compose music after he went deaf? of an object and are picked up by our Beethoven worked with vibrations. ears.
Understanding how sound works has let us make different instruments and music.
Physics has also been important as we have made computers, video games, and robots. Not only does physics explain how technology is powered, an understanding of it lets us keep improving our machines.
Knowledge of energy What does physics have to transfer lets us make do with computers and machines that can do
other machines? faster and more complex jobs.
Why do we do physics tests on robots? We need to see how well a robot can interact in our world.
What parts of Why is our gravity physics can be different to other planets explored in in the Solar System? space? The mass of a planet affects the gravity on it.
Physics doesn’t just apply to our planet, but to everything in our universe. Physicists explore changes in gravity, find new planets by looking at light from stars, and even think about things that we cannot yet understand - like black holes and dark matter. There is a lot of work to do, but it is fascinating.
How can Now that we are running out of fossil fuels to make physics help us electricity, physics is also
with power and helping us to find new ways of making power energy? with renewables.
Physics also helps us How can you get power understand how we can from the wind? turn things in our environment into energy, how things are powered, and how much energy As the wind turns turbines, it is different homes, cities, and doing work. This generates countries use or need. power that we can store.
Why can Physics can also help us to understand geology, natural forms such as how our
and disasters landscapes were formed and how they be explained might change with time. by physics? We can also understand natural disasters like earthquakes and How is a beach formed? tropical storms with physics by predicting how severe these A beach is made by the waves as disasters will be and they move sand, dirt, and rocks. when they might occur.
Just imagine What will all of the physics do in amazing things you the future? might see in a lifetime.
What is a good way to There are endless things to study in physics. From hear about what is energy efficient structures happening in physics? and engines to advances in Reading science and medical science, our understanding of physics technology news can will make new and keep you informed. wonderful things a reality.
