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CHAPTER – 1

WHAT IS PHYSICS
It is one of the oldest natural science branch, over the last two millennia,
Physics was a part of Natural Philosophy along with Chemistry, certain
branches of mathematics and biology, but during the scientific revolution in the
17th Century, Physics make significant contributions through advances in new
technologies that arises from theoretical break throw. The field of Physics lies
behind all of our technologies. For example advancement and research in
Electromagnetism led directly to the development of new products such as
Television, Computer, Home Appliances, Nuclear Reactors etc.

DEFINITION OF PHYSICS.
Physics is a major branch of Science, which deals with the fundamental
constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one another and the results
produced by these forces.
OR
The mutual Interaction between matter and Energy and relation between
them. Physics word comes from a Greek word “Physikos” means Natural. So
that’s why all the terms which are related with nature are being studied by the
Physics.
OR
Physics deals with basic principles and laws of natural phenomena that
occurs in universe.

HISTORY OF PHYSICS:
The history of Physics is as old as history of mankind. It is one of the
oldest natural science branch over the last two millennia. Physics was part of
natural philosophy along with Chemistry , certain branches of Mathematics and
biology, but during the scientific revolution in the 17th century , Physics made
significant contributions through advances in new technologies. The field of
Physics lies behind all of our technology.
For example: a advancement and research in Electromagnetism led
directly to the development of new products such as T.V, Computer, Home
Appliances, Nuclear reactors, Communication devices, Satellites System etc.

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INTRODUCTION OF THE BRANCHES OF PHYSICS:

There are several branches of Physics. In which some branches are
described below:

1. CLASSICAL MECHANICS:
It describes the motion of objects provided they are much larger than
atoms and moving at much less than speed of light.

2. THERMODYNAMICS:
In this branch, we study the effects of changes in temperature, pressure
and volume at the macroscopic scale and the transfer of heat as energy.

3. ELECTROMAGNETISM:
It described the interaction of charged particles with electric and
magnetic fields.

4. ELECTROSTATICS:
The study of interaction between charges at rest.

5. ELECTRODYNAMICS:
The study of interactions between moving charges and radiation.

6. OPTICAL PHYSICS:
The study of electromagnetic properties of light to understand
diffraction, interference and polarization.

7. QUANTUM MECHANICS:
This branch treats the atomic and sub atomic systems and their
interaction with radiation.

8. CHEMICAL PHYSICS:
The science of physical relation with chemistry.

9. GEO PHYSICS:
The Sciences of physical relation with our planet.

10. BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS:

Studying the physical interactions of biological process.

11. MEDICAL PHYSICS:

Deals with applications of Physics to prevention, diagnosis and
treatment.

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12. ASTROPHYSICS:
The Physics of the universe, including the properties and interactions of
celestial bodies.

13. ATOMIC PHYSICS:

Examines the structure, properties and behavior of the atom.

14. FLUID PHYSICS:

Deals with the behavior and movements of liquids and gases.

15. HEALTH PHYSICS:

Involves the protection of people work with or never radiation.

16. MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS:

Study of mathematical systems that stands for physical phenomena.

17. MOLECULAR PHYSICS:

Examines the structure, properties and behavior of molecules.

18. NUCLEAR PHYSICS:

It is concerned with the structure, properties of the atomic nucleus and
with nuclear reactions.

19. PLASMA PHYSICS:

It is concerned with the study of highly ionized gases.

20. SOLID STATE PHYSICS:

Examines the physical properties of solid materials.

ROLE OF PHYSICS IN OUR DAILY LIFE

Physics plays an important role in health, economic development,
education, energy, and the environment. Our modern world is much more
connected than in previous historical times. These days we travel far,
communicate easily and quickly, and conduct business around the world
effortlessly. In fact almost no place on earth has been excluded from the
modern interconnected world.
Physics has the capability of playing a major role in finding solutions to
many of the problems facing the human race. Of course it does not have all the
answers but the science is developed enough to have created nuclear weapons
which remain a global threat, then surely it can be used for the betterment of all
people around the globe.
As we know that Physics plays a very important role in our daily life.
Just like that:
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 We use several electric appliances in our homes. For example electric

fan, electric bell, electric bulb, refrigerator, juicer machine, Split AC,
Vacuum cleaner etc they all use electric power and based on the
principles of electricity and magnetism.
 We use cars, buses, aero planes, trains, they all uses engines which is
based on the principles of thermodynamics.
 Pakistan is producing huge amount of electricity through research
development in Nuclear Physics.
 The peoples whose eye sight is weak are now able to see clearly due to
high research in optical Physics.
 LASER Physics is used in the fico machine to make operations of eyes.
 We are able to listen or to talk with our relatives which are thousands of
miles away from us due to innovation in technology and use of
electromagnetic rays/waves.

TEACHINGS OF ISLAM AND SCIENCE.

It was the impression of teaching of Islam that a great number of
Muslim scholars indulged in investigation of natural phenomena.
In the history of science, science in the Muslim world refers to the
science developed under Islamic civilization between the 8th and 16th
centuries.
In an authentic Hadith Sahee Bukhari Shareef, the mode of the first
revelation is narrated when the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) was in the cave of
Hira.
“Read: In the name of thy Lord, who Createth”.
“Createth man from a clot”.
“Read,: And it is thy lord the most bountiful”.
“Who teacheth by pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not”.
(Surah: Al – Alaq –Ayat 1-5)

The formation of the universe is described in the Quran in the following verse:

“He is the Originator of the heavens and the Earth.” (6:101)

The information given in the Quran is in full agreement with the

findings of modern science. The conclusion that Astro Physics has reached
today is that the entire universe was created as a result of great explosion that
occurred in no time. This event, known as “The Big Bang” proved that the
entire universe was created from nothingness as a result of the explosion of a
single point. Modern scientists agree that the Big Bang is the only rational and
plausible explanation of the beginning and how the universe came into being.
Before the Big Bang, there was no such thing as matter. So, we come to the
conclusion that matter, time, and energy were created and didn’t exist since
infinite.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

The scientific method is the process by which scientists, collectively and
over time, endeavor to construct an accurate (that is, reliable, consistent and
non arbitrary) representation of the world.
Recognizing that personal and cultural beliefs influence both our
perceptions and our interpretations of natural phenomena, we aim through the
use of standard procedures and criteria to minimize those influences when
developing a theory. As a famous scientist once said, "Smart people (like smart
lawyers) can come up with very good explanations for mistaken points of
view." In summary, the scientific method attempts to minimize the influence of
bias or prejudice in the experimenter when testing an hypothesis or a theory.

The scientific method has four steps

o Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena.

o Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. In Physics, the

hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a
mathematical relation.

o Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to

predict quantitatively the results of new observations.

o Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several

independent experimenters and properly performed experiments.

If the experiments bear out the hypothesis it may come to be regarded as

a theory or law of nature (more on the concepts of hypothesis, model, theory
and law below).

If the experiments do not bear out the hypothesis, it must be rejected or

modified. What is key in the description of the scientific method just given is
the predictive power (the ability to get more out of the theory than you put in;
see Barrow, 1991) of the hypothesis or theory, as tested by experiment.

It is often said in science that theories can never be proved, only

disproved. There is always the possibility that a new observation or a new
experiment will conflict with a long-standing theory.

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CONTRIBUTION OF MUSLIM AND PAKISTANI SCIENTIST

1. ABU ALI HASSAN IBN-AL-HAITHAM (965-1039 A.D)

Abu 'Ali Al-Hassan bin Al-Haitham (965-1039 C.E.) was one of the most
eminent physicists. Ibn al-Haitham is sometimes called al-Basri, meaning from
the city of Basra in Iraq, and sometimes called Al-Misri, meaning that he came
from Egypt. He was the first person to test hypotheses with verifiable
experiments, developing the scientific method more than 200 years before
European scholars learned of it.
He made significant contributions to the principles of optics, as well as
to anatomy, astronomy, engineering, mathematics, medicine, ophthalmology,
philosophy, Physics, psychology, visual perception, and to science in general
with his early application of the scientific method.

IBN –AL- HAITHAM

 In his massive study of light and vision, Kitâb al-Manâzir (Book of

Optics ).
 The Latin translation of his main work, Kitaab-al-Manaadhir, exerted a
great influence upon Western science.
 The list of his books runs to 200.
 He also gave the structure and working of eyes.
 He gave us many laws of reflection and wrote many books about the
reflection of light.
 He also first time gave the idea that whenever the ray of light is incident
on an object some of the incident rays are reflected from the object and
enter the eyes consequently the object becomes visible to the eyes which
is accepted the scientific view.

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2. YAQUB IBNE ISHAQ – ALKINDI (800- 873 A.D):

Abu Yousuf Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi was born at Kufa around 800
A.D. His father was an official of Haroon al-Rashid. Al-Kindi was a
contemporary of al-Mamun, al-Mu'tasim and al-Mutawakkil and flourished
largely at Baghdad. He vas formally employed by Mutawakkil as a
calligrapher. On account of his philosophical views, Mutawakkil was annoyed
with him and confiscated all his books. These were, however, returned later on.
He died in 873 A.D. during the reign of al-M'utamid.

IBN-E-ISHAQ AL KINDI

 Al-Kindi was a philosopher, mathematician, physicist, astronomer,

physician, geographer and even an expert in music. It is surprising that
he made original contributions to all of these fields. On account of his
work he became known as the philosopher of the Arabs.
 In mathematics, he wrote four books on the number system and laid the
foundation of a large part of modern arithmetic. No doubt the Arabic
system of numerals was largely developed by al- Khawarizmi, but al-
Kindi also made rich contributions to it.
 He also contributed to spherical geometry to assist him in astronomical
studies.
 In Physics, he made rich contributions to geometrical optics and wrote a
book on it.
 This book later on provided guidance and inspiration to such eminent
scientists as Roger Bacon.

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3. ABU REHAN MUHAMMAD BIN AHMED AL-BERUNI:

He was born in Berun a small town of Afghanistan in 973 A.D. Al-
Beruni full name is Abu Rehan Mohammad bin Ahmed Al-Beruni. He was the
scholar of mathematics, Physics, Cosmology, Geography, History, Culture and
Civilization, Archeology, Geology, Chemistry and Biology. He produced more
than one hundred and fifty books on the above subjects. He wrote many books
on various subjects like Physics, Mathematics, Culture, Astronomy etc.

ABU REHAN AL BERUNI

 Abu Rehan Mohammad bin Ahmed Al-Beruni discovered seven

different ways of finding North and South directions.
 He is probably the first scientist to thoroughly discuss and prove that
the Earth moves or rotates around its axis.
 He also calculated the Longitudes and Latitudes very accurately. All
these calculations, observations and Theories are presented in his book
'Al-Ather Al-Baqia'.
 He discussed in detail about the movement of sun moon and others
planets.
 He determined the densities of various metals.
 He gave an idea that Earth is floating in the sky like a ships in the water.
 He also awarded that he was a first who said that the velocity of light is
more than the velocity of sound.

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4. DR. ABDUS SALAM:

He was born in Jhang, which is a small city of Punjab, Pakistan in 1926.
He was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 for his work on GUT (Grand
Unification Theory). He was very intelligent from his early childhood, and due
to good performance he was awarded scholarship for higher studies in UK. He
came back in Pakistan in 1950 but he again went to UK to promote his research
work.
Born on January 29, 1926, into a working-class Punjabi family.
He went on to be celebrated as one of the world’s greatest minds as a leading
theoretical physicists of his day for his contribution to the Grand Unified
Theory.

Dr. ABDUS SALAM

 At 31 he had been the youngest-ever professor of theoretical Physics at

London’s prestigious Imperial College.
 By the time he died in 1996.
 He had received 42 honorary doctorates from universities across the
globe.
 When his country needed him, he returned from the west to assume the
position of adviser to the president.
 He expanded the web of research and development in Pakistan by
sending scientists abroad.
 In 1961, Dr Abdus Salam approached the president to propose the
setting up of Pakistan’s own national space agency.
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)
was established on September 16 that year, with Dr Abdus Salam as its
first director.
 Dr Abdus Salam played a significant role in Pakistan’s development in
the nuclear field.

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5. DR. ABDUL QADEER KHAN.

He was born on 1st April 1936, at Bhopal (India). He obtained M.Sc
Metallurgy degree from Holland and selected as research assistant in the same
university. He obtained Ph.D degree from the University of Leaven”, Belgium
and further worked as a expert at Urenco Enrichment Plant in Holland.
At a certain period, he returned to Pakistan to make our country an Atomic
Power.

Dr. ABDUL QADEER KHAN

 He has been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.

 The former engineering research laboratories has now been named as
A.Q Research Laboratories to honor him.
 Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan or Dr A Q Khan as he is popularly known as is
widely believed to be the architect of Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Highly disliked by western powers for making Pakistan a nuclear power.
 Dr A Q Khan worked hard not only to make Pakistan a strong nuclear
power but also developed and led development programs for
development of Pakistan’s strategic weapon systems.
 His contribution to Pakistani nuclear and missile program, both in
technology and leadership fronts, helped establish a formidable defense
system for Pakistan which transcended its conventional capabilities.
 He worked hard to establish Pakistani nuclear program as a strong reply
to Indian program which would have resulted in misbalance of power in
the region.
 Among various honors and awards conferred on Dr A Q Khan, it is
notable that he received Pakistan’s highest Civil award, Nishan-i-Imtiaz
twice, being the only Pakistani with this honor.

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