Task 4. Decide if the statements are true, false or not mentioned in the text.

1. During the ancient era Greek philosophy was the most creative.

2. In ancient times, the systematic study of fundamental natural laws was called natural philosophy.

3. Physics may be divided into classical physics and modern physics.

4. The important laws in modern physics are the conservation laws.

5. Classical physics appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.

Task 5. Choose the correct answer.

1. What does physics deal with?

a) matter and energy and the relationships that exist between them

b) modern and classical physics

c) the conservation laws

2. What is classical physics based on?

a) the laws of motion and gravitation of Sir Isaac Newton

b) the theory of electromagnetic radiation of James Clerk Maxwell

c) both

3. What are matter and energy in classical physics?

a) They are disconnected.

b) They are two interchangeable concepts.

c) Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass; energy is the capacity to move matter.

4. What is modern physics based on?

a) the theory of relativity of Albert Einstein

b) the quantum theory of Max Planck and others

c) both

5. What are matter and energy in modern physics?

a) They are separate concepts.

b) They are alternate forms of each other.

c) Matter and energy are interchangeable.

Task 6. Complete the sentences according to the text «What is Physics?» in your own words.

1. Physics is the science that … .

2. The various laws of physics are … .

3. Classical physics is … .

4. Modern physics is … .

Task 7. Summarize one of the paragraphs of the text.

See Appendix 1).

Task 8. Enjoy the poem and say the names of the prominent scientists in physics mentioned in the poem.

Unified Field Theory by Tim Joseph

In the beginning there was Aristotle,

At objects at rest tended to remain at rest,

And objects in motion tended to come to rest,

And soon everything was at rest,

And God saw that it was boring.

Then God created Newton,

And objects at rest tended to remain at rest,

But objects in motion tended to remain in motion,

And energy was conserved and momentum was conserved and matter was conserved,

And God saw that it was conservative.

Then God created Einstein,

And everything was relative,

And fast things became short,

And straight things became curved,

And the universe was filled with inertial frames,

And God saw that it was relatively general, but some of it was especially relative.

Then God created Bohr,

And there was the principle,

And the principle was quantum,

And all things were quantified,

But some things were still relative,

And God saw that it was confusing.

Then God was going to create Ferguson,

And Ferguson would have unified,

And he would have fielded a theory,

And all would have been one,

But it was the seventh day,

And God rested,

And objects at rest tend to remain at rest.

UNIT 2. A GLIMPSE OF CLASSICAL PHYSICS

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

«To cross the seas, to traverse the roads, and to work machinery by galvanism, or rather electro-magnetism, will certainly, if executed, be the most noble achievement ever performed by man».

Alfred Smee[2]

Vocabulary