| Theoretical Physics |
Article Index for Theoretical |
Website Links For Theoretical |
Information AboutTheoretical Physics |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT THEORETICAL PHYSICS | |
| theoretical physics | |
| history of physicstheoretical physics | |
| history of physics | |
| physics | |
| theories | |
|
OVERVIEW A physical theory is a model of physical events and cannot be proven from basic Axioms . A physical theory is different from a Mathematical Theorem ; physical theories model reality and are a statement of what has been observed, and provide predictions of new observations. Hence, more is involved than the application, or even invention, of mathematics — to wit: concept formation. Archimedes realized that one could determine the Volume of an irregularly-shaped object by immersing it in a Liquid , and that a ship floats by displacing its weight of water. Pythagoras understood the relation between the length of a Vibrating string and the Music al tone it produces, and how to Calculate the Length of a Rectangle 's diagonal. Other examples include Entropy as a measure of the uncertainty regarding the positions and Motion s of unseen Particles and the Quantum Mechanical idea that (action and) Energy are not continuously Variable . Sometimes it is the vision of Mathematician s which provides the clue; e.g., the notion, due to Riemann and others, that Space itself might be curved. Theoretical advances often consist in setting aside old Paradigm s
often replacing them with new ones
Physical theories become accepted if they are able to make correct predictions and avoid incorrect ones. All else being equal, simple theories tend to be accepted over theories which are complex. (But conceptual simplicity may mean mathematical complexity.) They are also more likely to be accepted if they connect a wide range of phenomena. Testing the consequences of a theory is part of the Scientific Method . Physical theories can be grouped into three categories: '' Mainstream Theories '', '' Proposed Theories '' and '' Fringe Theories ''. HISTORY Theoretical physics began, ''at least'' 2,300 years ago under the pre- Socratic Greek philosophers, and continued by Plato ; and Aristotle , whose views held sway for a millennium. In Medieval times, during the rise of the universities, the only acknowledged intellectual disciplines were Theology , mathematics, Medicine , and Law . As the concepts of matter, energy, time and causality slowly began to acquire the form we know today, other sciences spun off from the rubric of Natural Philosophy . During the Renaissance , the modern concept of experimental science, the Counterpoint to theory, began with Francis Bacon . The modern era of theory began perhaps with the Copernican paradigm shift in Astronomy , soon followed by the actual planetary orbits due to Kepler , based on the meticulous observations of Tycho . The great push toward the modern concept of explanation started with Galileo , one of the few Physicists who was both a consummate theoretician and a great experimentalist. The Analytic Geometry and mechanics of Descartes was incorporated into the Calculus and Mechanics of Isaac Newton , another theoretician/experimentalist. Joseph-Louis Lagrange and William Rowan Hamilton would extend the theory of classical mechanics considerably. These individuals picked up the interactive intertwining of Mathematics and Physics begun two millennia earlier by Pythagoras. Among the great conceptual achievements of the 19th and 20th Centuries were the consolidation of the idea of Energy by the inclusion of Heat , then Electricity And Magnetism and Light , and finally Mass . The Laws Of Thermodynamics , and especially the introduction of the singular concept of Entropy , filled in a great missing link in the attempt to explain why things happen. The most pivotal theories of Modern Physics have been Relativity Theory and Quantum Mechanics . Newtonian mechanics was subsumed under special relativity and Newton's Gravity was given a Kinematic explanation by General Relativity . Quantum mechanics led to an understanding of Blackbody Radiation and of Anomalies in the Specific Heats of Solid s — and finally to an understanding of the internal structures of Atom s and Molecule s. All of these achievements depended on the theoretical physics as a moving force both to suggest experiments and to consolidate results — often by ingenious application of existing mathematics, or, as in the case of Descartes and Newton (with . Modern theoretical physics attempts to unify theories and explain phenomena in further attempts to understand the Universe , from the Cosmologic to the Elementary Particle scale. Where experimentation cannot be done, theoretical physics still tries to advance through the use of mathematical models. Prominent theoretical physicists Famous ''theoretical physicists'' include Sir Isaac Newton , Albert Einstein , Stephen Hawking , Niels Hendrik Bohr , Werner Heisenberg , Max Born , Hendrik A. Lorentz , Max Planck , Erwin Schrödinger , Paul Dirac , J. Robert Oppenheimer , Richard Feynman , Lev Landau , Abdus Salam , Enrico Fermi , Louis Victor Broglie , and Wolfgang Pauli . MAINSTREAM THEORIES Mainstream theories (sometimes referred to as ''central theories'') are the body of knowledge of both factual and scientific views and possess a usual scientific quality of the tests of repeatability, consistency with existing well-established science and experimentation. There do exist mainstream theories that are generally accepted theories based solely upon their effects explaining a wide variety of data, although the detection, explanation and possible composition are subjects of debate. Examples
PROPOSED THEORIES The proposed theories of physics are usually relatively new theories which deal with the study of physics which include scientific approaches, means for determining the validity of models and new types of reasoning used to arrive at the theory. However, some proposed theories include theories that have been around for decades and have eluded methods of discovery and testing. Proposed theories can include fringe theories in the process of becoming established (and, sometimes, gaining wider acceptance). Proposed theories usually have not been tested. Examples
FRINGE THEORIES Fringe theories include any new area of scientific endeavor in the process of becoming established and some proposed theories. It can include speculative sciences. This includes physics fields and physical theories presented in accordance with known evidence, and a body of associated predictions have been made according to that theory. Some fringe theories go on to become a widely accepted part of physics. Other fringe theories end up being disproven. Some fringe theories are a form of Protoscience and others are a form of Pseudoscience . The falsification of the original theory sometimes leads to reformulation of the theory. Examples
NOTES
SEE ALSO List Of Theoretical Physicists EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|