What is Classical physics: Definition and 222 Discussions

Classical physics is a group of physics theories that predate modern, more complete, or more widely applicable theories. If a currently accepted theory is considered to be modern, and its introduction represented a major paradigm shift, then the previous theories, or new theories based on the older paradigm, will often be referred to as belonging to the realm of "classical physics".
As such, the definition of a classical theory depends on context. Classical physical concepts are often used when modern theories are unnecessarily complex for a particular situation. Most usually classical physics refers to pre-1900 physics, while modern physics refers to post-1900 physics which incorporates elements of quantum mechanics and relativity.

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  1. P

    Momentum vs Kinetic Energy in classical physics

    I've added 'in classical physics' in the thread title because all the differences between them that I found on the internet involved relativistic physics. It was something like both momentum and kinetic energy being components of a four-momentum or something like that. But I cannot understand...
  2. Minestra

    Definition of Success problems with projectile motion

    So I just got beat up by this question on my midterm. I'm not sure if these problems are always called definition of success but that is how my professor refers to them as. The question: (paraphrased) When you walk into your dorm room you like to throw your keys onto the center of your desk...
  3. S

    A What is orientation of a needle shaped spacecraft?

    this is a small part of a problem on tidal forces and I wasn't sure what the question asks as it seems to me that more information is needed. Am I right or is there something I am missing? the question goes as: "A spacecraft approaches a neutron star of radius 10 km and mass 1.5 times mass...
  4. M

    Is Potential Energy Infinite at Any Point for Point Masses?

    Hi everyone, first post here. Today i crushed into a question. I was going to write it down here, then i crushed into another one. Lets say we want to know the potential energy of a body relative to a center of gravity. I will refer to gravitys acceleration as "g" and to mass as "m". "k" will...
  5. VitorPAguiar

    What are the aspects that can help a car to flip in a turn?

    I am not sure if this is the right place to ask it, but this is a question that I thought today, and it gave me some curiosity to understand. Imagine that a car will curve, we can say the turn is a bit tight , what are the factors that can help it to flip? I was wondering about some aspects...
  6. smodak

    Classical Found a cool free book on Classical Physics

    APPLICATIONS OF CLASSICAL PHYSICS 2012-2013 Version of Textbook by Roger D. Blandford and Kip S. Thorne http://www.pmaweb.caltech.edu/Courses/ph136/yr2012/ I believe this is a precursor to the following textbook (yet to be released) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691159025/?tag=pfamazon01-20
  7. O

    I Finding Magnetic Field from Electric Field: A Classical Physics Problem

    Hey guys, i just came across this on my classical physics course. So, I'm given that: E(z, t) = {E_{0}}sin(wt)sin(kz)\widehat{x}, and I'm supposed to find an expression for the associated magnetic field B. Usually, i just find the propagation direction, and do it's cross product with the...
  8. Q

    Name of Online Journal with Immediate Online Review

    Hello everyone. A Philosophy of Science friend showed a site where you can upload your paper and then you will be fairly quickly reviewed by your peers and this will be published alongside your paper. It seems to me this is a very good way to proceed; you may get assessment from the very top...
  9. R

    A Classical Physics: Unsolved Problems and Solutions

    We know that unsolved problems still exist in classical physics and scientists still make reasearches , can the scientists solve those problems without using other physics branches like quantum mechanics .. ? Can they solve these problems only with a full understanding of classical mechanics ?
  10. L

    B Finding the Path of a Particle with Initial Velocity and Force

    Hi There. I want to ask a question, here it is :- How to find the path of a particle if initial velocity(vector) is given and constant force(vector) acts on the particle. Like :- 1) How can we determine the path will be PARABOLIC 2) How can we determine the path will be CIRCULAR. 3) How can we...
  11. Aafia

    I How can we distinguish classical physics and modern physics?

    How to decide whether a particular topic is studied in classical physics or modern physics?
  12. durant35

    I Difference between atomic behavior in QM and classical physics

    I believe this question will be a no-brainer for many members. I want to conceptually grasp how do atoms (and molecules) behave using QM in contrast to the classical physics model. Now there's uncertainty principle and atoms don't have a fixed position and momentum, and that's fine, I know it's...
  13. S

    Acceleration of a Rocket falling to Earth

    I want to drop a rocket-shaped object from a near-space balloon, with the aim of maintaining a downward acceleration that leaves it's contents in microgravity. I think that this means: The (unpowered) rocket needs to maintain as close to 9.8m/s2 acceleration in order to balance out the...
  14. G

    Precession, Weight & Conservation of Angular Momentum

    Many of you might have seen veritasium's video on the "Anti-gravity wheel". Through one of the comments, I was introduced to the idea that the reason the apparatus is so easy to lift is because the energy to do so comes from the spin of the wheel, i.e. its rotation slows down as it is lifted and...
  15. Shailesh Pincha

    Electric & Magnetic Fields Out of Phase: Why?

    Why can't we have an Electromagnetic wave in which the Electric Field and Magentic Field aren't in phase?
  16. TheDemx27

    Conservation of Energy vs Conservation of Momentum problem

    Homework Statement We are trying to find out whether we can hit a weight ##m=3## kg up to a given ##h=15.24## meters with a hammer with a head of ##m=6## kg swung at ##v=10## m/s. Homework Equations KE=0.5mv^2 PE=mgh p=mv The Attempt at a Solution One solution is to even see if the energy...
  17. dwdoyle8854

    Classical Dynamics -- Falling chain and energy conservation

    Homework Statement The statement of the question is:A chain of uniform linear mass density ##\rho##, length ##b## and mass ##M## hands as shown in the figure below. At time t=0, the ends A and B are adjacent, but end B is released. Find the tension in the chain at point A after end B has...
  18. Apoorv3012

    What is enthelpy of a system, Macroscopic thermodynamics.

    What is enthalpy of a system based on macroscopic POV of thermodynamics and not chemistry? And how do we use it to calculate the total heat transfer in isentropic processes?
  19. LarryS

    Complex numbers sometimes *Required* in Classical Physics?

    In general, one thinks of complex numbers as being absolutely required in Quantum Physics but as being optional in Classical Physics. But what about modern classical electromagnetic field theory (gauge theory) in which the electromagnetic field is coupled to the field of charged particles by...
  20. K

    Computability in Classical Physics

    I was reading the book "Emperor's New Mind" by Roger Penrose which deals with understanding the nature of mind in the sense that it is algorithmic or not. In one of the chapters he explains that the deterministic world of the Newtonian Theory can still be non-computable. He explains this as...
  21. Hexogen

    Wood Shield For Magnetic Field?

    So, I was watching PBS's Nazi Mega Weapons, and they were discussing the V-1 terror drone when they said something that made me scratch my head. They said that the Nazis initially had problems with the compass that facilitated navigation because of magnetic interference from the metal in the V-1...
  22. T

    Exploring Early Classical Physics: The Water Pump Debate

    I read in the Britannica Encyclopedia yesterday that Rene Descartes rejected the idea that a water pump works because nature abhors a vacuum, and instead said that it works "by the weight of the water which counterbalances that of the air". I have an idea of the two contrary concepts opposed...
  23. J

    Mechanics Question -- Ball bearing on top of an accelerating car

    Homework Statement A ball bearing rests on a ramp fixed to the top of a car which is accelerating horizontally. The position of the ball bearing relative to the ramp is used as a measure of the acceleration of the car. Show that if the acceleration is to be proportional to the horizontal...
  24. j3dwards

    Thermal conduction between 3 rods

    Homework Statement Rods of copper, brass and steel are welded together to form a Y-shaped figure. The cross-sectional area of each rod is 2.0 cm2 . The free end of the copper rod is maintained at 100◦C, and the free ends of the brass and steel rods at 0 ◦C. Assume there is no heat loss from the...
  25. S

    Classical physics wavelength of monochromatic light

    Homework Statement A stopping potential of 0.50 V is required when a phototube is illuminated with monochromatic light of wavelength 600 nm. Monochromatic light of a different wavelength is now shone on the tube, and the stopping potential is measured to be 1.1V. What is the wavelength of this...
  26. K

    About role of Planck constant in classical physics

    Hi there, I am confusing on the statement that we have classical physics when Planck constant approaching zero. I search the similar topic in Physics Forums and I saw that most of the answers refer to the size effect. It argues that when we measure something in the scale of meter comparing to...
  27. S

    "General physics" vs. "Classical physics"

    Dear fellows, I wonder about what is the difference between general physics (i.e. Halliday and the like) and the classical mechanics/electromagnetic theory/etc sequence (i.e. Fowles, Purcell, etc). Someone told me that it is only about the mathematics required, but in that case, is general...
  28. J

    Relationship between friction and weight

    So I know that weight correlates with friction, as in more weight of an object means that it will experience more friction. However, what is not clear to me is why this occurs on a molecular level. Thanks for the help
  29. shanepitts

    Simple classical physics inquiry

    [Mentor's note -- this post does not use the homework template because it was moved here from a non-homework forum.] ---------------------------------------------- Not sure how the extra velocity quantity appears after deriving both side of the velocity function to get acceleration. Please help.
  30. R

    Are Quantum Physics & Classical Physics incompatible?

    Is quantum physics closer to the truth than classical physics, or is it just a different way of looking at the same problem? For example, the rules of baseball explain the behavior of baseball players better than the rules of football, and vice versa. The rules of these two sports are not...
  31. akashverma

    Difference in work done to move magnet

    If a neodymium magnet sticks over a steel plate and you want to separate them, it is advised to apply force such that the magnet slips over steel plate. So I was just wondering what would be the quantified decrement of this force as compared to the case when force is applied axially to separate...
  32. akashverma

    Classical approach to claculate magnetic force

    Would it be possible to have a generalised equation for magnetic force of interaction between magnet-magnet and magnet-ferromagnetic materials maybe iron.
  33. J

    Electrons & Gases: Changing Colour w/ Speed Increase

    What type of gas would change the colour of an electron beam as the speed of the electrons increases?
  34. physicsodyssey

    Prooving a system will travel up to 180 degrees

    Homework Statement To prove that system will travel freely upto 180 degree m2 is counterweight and m1 is mass of pan (=3kg) i have attched the fbd or another link http://www.imagebam.com/image/54bb5a394377595 Homework Equations m1(h + a sin θ) g x = m2 y h g m2 = 9.13 kg The Attempt at a...
  35. B

    A Question about the Problem of the Week at Harvard

    I found a set of question from Harvard here; https://www.physics.harvard.edu/academics/undergrad/problems [URL repaired by a mentor] I solved the Week 1 problem like this; The basketball would fall to the floor, because the collision is elastic the velocity will change from -v to v (where v is...
  36. Greg Bernhardt

    Classical physics Video Lectures

    MIT: Thermodynamics (2008) This is part 1 of 36 in the video series. Click the youtube link to find the playlist to select another video in the series.
  37. Arlax

    Classical physics history books

    I'm looking for history books on the beginnings of physics (mechanics, electromagnetism, etc) focused on explaining the evolution of the various fields that we have nowadays in physics more than trying to introduce them. For example, I'm looking for books that talk about how Newton discovered...
  38. A

    Engineering Is passion for classical physics enough to engineer?

    Let's say one has a passion for classical physics - he/she wants to learn all there is to learn about classical physics. Given that she/he has the intelligence and work ethic, does a passion for classical physics an indication enough that she/he should pursue engineering? Or could one love...
  39. A

    Programs Physics majors:only two semesters of classical physics?

    At most schools, physics majors are only required to take two semesters of classical physics (correct me if i am wrong), with the third semester of the same series being an introduction to modern physics. I understand that most physics majors are more interested in modern physics, but classical...
  40. A

    Is Classical Mechanics Wrong? A Horrible Proof of Its Inadequacy

    Basically the title. Take relativity it has the Lorenz factor 1/sqrt(1-(v/c^2)) and if v is not zero it's something that isn't accounted for in classical mechanics. Does that make classical mechanics wrong?
  41. C

    Calculating Temperature and Pressure in a Sealed Container of Helium Gas

    1. A sealed container of volume 0.1m^3 holds 3.0x10^24 atoms of helium gas at equilibrium. Distribution of speed of the helium atom shows a peak at 1100ms^-1. i) calculate temperature and pressure of the helium gas. ii) what is the average kinetic energy of the helium atoms? iii) what is the...
  42. A

    Any good book that contains difficult classical physics problems?

    Can anyone introduce me some physics that contains difficult classical physics problems?
  43. N

    Some funny theoretical tasks, classical physics

    Good morning! I want to show you a few exercises given to me by my Physics teacher as an additional task. I'm aware that for some of you they may seem trivial, but I found it hard to face them because of them being full theoretical, with no actual data given. Mind that I'm only 15 :(. I'd love...
  44. D

    Impact of heat on most classical physics problems

    Hello, i am not an expert in physics (i am a computer scientist) but i have a lot of interest in physics, still there are some questions that i can't seem to answer given my limited amount of knowledge in physics (i had only 1 classical mechanics subject in university, although i try to learn a...
  45. W

    Classical physics Time dependent vector calculation

    Homework Statement If A is a time dependent vector, calculate [itex] \int_{t1}^{t2} dtA(t) \times \frac{d^2A}{dt^2} [\itex] Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I think we should somehow relate it with something's derivative. \int_{t1}^{t2}A(t)\frac{d^2A(t)}{dt^2}dt=...
  46. K

    About locality in classical physics

    In wikipedia it says that "Coulomb's law of electric forces was initially also formulated as instantaneous action at a distance, but was later superseded by Maxwell's Equations of electromagnetism which obey locality." I don't really understand in which sense Maxwell's equations solve the...
  47. Y

    Why isn't classical physics probabilistic in nature?

    Hello friends, Why does classical physics not follow a probabilistic nature? And why is conventional predicting absent at microscopic levels? I have searched a little including sites like physics.exchange but only see responses that are "classical physics fails to predict this" or "it cannot...
  48. shounakbhatta

    Fundamental difference between quantum physics and classical physics

    Hello, There has been lot many articles, write up(s) pointing out the difference between classical and quantum physics. Well, I know that there has been thousand and one articles written on the topic, but my point is to find out the basic fundamental difference. One point is quiet evident...
  49. interhacker

    Can a Research Paper on Classical Physics make it to a good journal?

    I am starting University in September, 2014. I have some knowledge already on classical mechanics as I took optional Applied Math courses (called Mechanics 1 and Mechanics 2) in my mathematics A-Level. I am also self-studying the book Classical Mechanics by Goldstein, Poole and Safko to gain a...
  50. K

    Is Scope of Classical Physics decreasing?

    Hi guys, Just ran into a debate with friends about this topic. We were discussing whether the scope of pure sciences (in particular, Classical Physics)decreasing over time? Has it decreased till date? The fact that newer questions posed now a days are tougher than the times of Newton and...
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