There are people in this world who are enjoying a thriving life and career owing to physics. However, not everyone would be like them. When you were in school, you might’ve dreaded this subject. Of course, the thought of studying itself is enough to scare many students. Physics is one of the subjects in science, which involves plenty of numbers and equations.
So, it can be a monster made up of two things that many students hate. They are science and numbers. Here, we’re surely going to talk about physics, but not to scare you. We’ve brought some astonishing facts about the subject that you’ll certainly enjoy reading about:
1. Special relativity makes space travelers younger
Velocity and gravity affects the speed of time according to the theory of special relativity. So, the astronauts who are outside our planet at the moment are experiencing the time slowly. Probably that’s the reason why astronauts look a bit younger.
2. The meaning of physics
The word ‘physics’ has its origins in a Greek word. The meaning of that Greek word is ‘knowledge of nature’. This perfectly suits this subject since it’s about observations and explanations of the natural phenomena. No wonder it’s among the oldest fields in science, which dates back to the ancient times.
3. Light traveling faster is not completely true
You might’ve heard this countless times when you were a student that ‘light travels faster’. Little did you know at the time that it’s not completely true. The speed of light doesn’t pass through a vacuum always. The vacuum is the only place where they have a speed that’s constant. When passing through water, protons travel at a speed that’s 3 quarters of it.
4. You can easily float in the Dead Sea’s waters
Even nature has its own way of telling you that physics is not that boring. It can explain some of nature’s marvels. One of them is the Dead Sea, in which, a person can easily float without the fear of drowning. The reason for this is its density owing to the presence of salt. So, if you aren’t a swimmer and you happen to visit the Dead Sea, try taking a dip in its waters.
5. GPS works on Einstein’s equation
Remember Albert Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2? Well, the GPS on your smartphone is based on this equation. Today’s systems of satellite navigation rely on the geostationary satellites to give us the exact location and related data. This is done with the use of radio waves. So, the theory of relativity is in action while helping the GPS function.
6. Black holes aren’t really black
The world-renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, was the one who proposed that black holes exist in the universe. He had also discovered a radiation which was later called ‘Hawking radiation’. It can make a black hole glow and give off light across the entire spectrum.
7. Quantum Foam
The empty space you see in the universe is not really empty. There are particles that pop into existence and out of it. They’re known as virtual particles and exist only for a fraction of a second. While they exist, they break some of the fundamental laws of physics. This phenomenon is called ‘Quantum Foam’. They’re more like bubbles that you see on the top of a soft drink.
