Science, which is defined as the rigorous effort by mankind to understand how the natural world functions, has emerged as the most important field of study in modern times. Through scientific studies, humans have been able to understand the world better and come up with numerous inventions that have improved life. One important branch of science is physics, which is the branch that focuses on the character and attributes of matter and energy. Physics has numerous applications in the world. Most of the activities that people engage in on a daily basis involve some aspects of physics. In this paper, I will discuss the use of physics in some of my daily activities in order to highlight the widespread of impact of this branch of science in human life.
The physics principle of friction is arguably one of the most influential in my daily activities. From the moment I get out of bed in the morning to when I retire to sleep, friction is at work. By definition, friction is the force that acts opposite to movement (Halliday, Resnick & Walker, 2010). This force enables me to get out of bed and walk out of my room. Friction enables me to walk since there is friction between the floor and my foot. Without it, I would not be able to move forward but would instead slide and fall to the floor. This force makes it possible for me to wash my face using soap and water. The friction produced between my face and the bathing cloth ensures that any dirt is removed from my face and I remain clean. When I get to the kitchen, I make use of friction to strike a match and produce fire. Friction also makes it possible for me to operate a car and move from place to place. The friction between the road surface and the tyre makes it possible for the car to move forward when the gas pedal is pressed (Halliday et al., 2010). When stoping the car, this force acts between the brake pad and the brake rotor enabling the car to slow down and eventually stop. Friction also makes it possible for me to clean dishes and wash my clothes.
The physics force of gravity manifests itself in many of my daily activities. Halliday et al. (2010) define gravity as the force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. Whenever I am lifting an object from the ground, I am acting against the Earth’s gravitational pull on the object. When the water pump at our farm is not functioning, I sometimes fetch water from the well. Gravity is the force that causes the bucket to fall into the well when I release it from the top. This is also the force that causes an object to fall back to the ground when it is thrown upwards (Myers, 2006). The force makes it possible for me to engage in sporting activities such as playing soccer. Without gravity, the ball would continue going upwards and as such, it would be impossible to enjoy the sport.
When I am spraying the cattle with water using a bucket, I make use of inertia. By definition, inertia is the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or motion in spite of a change in velocity (Halliday et al., 2010). When I throw a bucket of water at the cattle, I swing the bucket and bring it to a sudden stop. However, the water contained in the bucket continues moving in spite of this sudden change in the velocity of the bucket. This causes the water to move outside the bucket and land on the cattle. Through inertia, I am able to hurl water over some length since the liquid maintains its state of motion even when the velocity of the bucket comes to a stop.
In our house, we have incandescent light bulbs that provide us with light. When I switch on these light bulbs, it is physics that causes the bulbs to turn on. Specifically, the principle of resistance is applied in this instance. The bulbs are able to produce light since the filament element is heated. The filament is made of a metal that has a high resistance (Myers, 2006). When electric current is made to pass through this high resistance element, a lot of heat is generated. For this reason, the filament glows white-hot when one closes the circuit and allows electric current to pass through the bulb.
While I am taking a bath at the bathtub, physics is at play. I begin by filling the tub with water and then proceed to enter into the bathtub. When I enter, the water level in the bathtub rises. For this reason, I have to make sure that the water is not filled to the brim of the tub before I get into it. This displacement of water when I enter the tab is called buoyancy. Myers (2006) notes that Archimedes, who was a Greek Mathematician, discovered the principle of buoyancy. The Archimedes principle states that when a body is submerged in water, it displaces water of an equal volume to the body (Myers, 2006). For this reason, I displace water equal to the volume of the part of my body that is submerged in the water whenever I get into the bathtub. Physic explains why I sink in the bathtub while the rubber ducks present remain afloat. The buoyancy force of an object is equal to the weight of the water displaced when an object is placed in water. For floating to occur, the object needs to displace water that that is greater than its weight.
I own a bicycle that I use for exercising and to move around when I am at home. Using this bicycle involves a lot of physics. To move the bicycle, I make use of Newton’s second law of motion. Myers (2006) documents that this law states that Force is equal to the Mass times Acceleration. As such, the amount of force I exert into the bicycle is the same that is output and it causes the bike to move forward. The acceleration of the bicycle is dependent on the force exerted and my weight. If I want to move at a high speed, I only need to apply more force on the pedals. Balancing the bicycle also requires utilizes physics. While it is hard to keep a bicycle upright when it is stationary, it is easy to balance the bike with enough forward velocity.
Throughout the day, I have to operate taps in order to get water for many activities which range from taking a shower to washing the dishes. When turning a tap on or off, the laws of physics are applied. The principle of torque makes it possible for me to turn the tap by using the opposing forces of my thumb and my index fingers (Myers, 2006). It is easier to turn the tap when I apply the force furthest from the centre. Torque is also applicable when I am opening a door. It is easy to open the door by applying force furthest from the door hinges. If I attempt to open the door by pushing near the hinge, it requires significant amount of force. This principle is also applicable when I am outdoors attempting to remove a nail from a surface using the hammer claw. When I try to remove the nail straight out, I have to use a lot of force and many times the nail refuses to move. However, when I rest the hammerhead on a surface and proceed to roll it, the nail comes out fairly easily.
In this paper, I have provided a list of some of the activities I engage in each day and how physics applies in them. I have indicated the various principles of physics that come into play as I carry out the various ordinary activities. From the discussions given in this paper, it is clear that physics is the backbone of most of the activities I engage in. The list of activities I have given through this paper is not conclusive since there are many other tasks in my day where physics is used. Describing in details some of this activities has helped me to better appreciate the important role that physics plays in the life of people, whether they are aware of it or not.
References
Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. (2010). Fundamentals of Physics. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Myers, R.L. (2006). The Basics of Physics: Basics of the hard sciences. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group.