Physics Quizzes: Unravel the Secrets of Our Bewildering Universe Piece By Piece

Physics is the study of matter, energy, motion, force and fields. It enables us to understand how the universe works on a dizzying range for scales going all the way from tiny electrons spinning in atoms to baseballs flying through the air to satellites orbiting the earth to the rotation of superclusters of galaxies. Physicists propose theories as to how these things behave and test their theories through experiment. Einstein once said that a physical theory is more impressive the greater its area of applicability, the more things it relates and the fewer its premises. A successful theory that holds up well when tested against experiment may inspire technological breakthroughs. Thus Maxwell's prediction of electromagnetic waves in 1865 directly led to wireless radio transmission by Marconi thirty years later. However while physics may give practical results most physicists and especially theoretical physicists are motivated simply by the desire to create an elegant framework that will eventually explain all natural phenomena.