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Classical Physics

Classical physics refers to theories that predate modern physics theories and includes Newton's laws of motion, classical thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equations. Classical physics breaks down at small scales where quantum mechanics is needed, but remains useful for macroscopic and astronomical domains.

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Jami Hasan
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296 views

Classical Physics

Classical physics refers to theories that predate modern physics theories and includes Newton's laws of motion, classical thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equations. Classical physics breaks down at small scales where quantum mechanics is needed, but remains useful for macroscopic and astronomical domains.

Uploaded by

Jami Hasan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Classical physics

Classical physics refers to theories of physics 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".
The four major domains of modern 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.[1]

Contents
Overview
Comparison with modern physics
Computer modeling and manual calculation, modern and classic comparison
See also
References

Overview
Classical theory has at least two distinct meanings in physics. In the context of quantum mechanics, classical theory refers to
theories of physics that do not use the quantisation paradigm, which includes classical mechanics and relativity.[2] Likewise,
classical field theories, such as general relativity and classical electromagnetism, are those that do not use quantum mechanics.[3]
In the context of general and special relativity, classical theories are those that obey Galilean relativity.[4]

Depending on point of view, among the branches of theory sometimes included in classical physics are variably:

Classical mechanics

Newton's laws of motion


Classical Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms
Classical electrodynamics (Maxwell's Equations)
Classical thermodynamics
Special relativity and general relativity
Classical chaos theory and nonlinear dynamics

Comparison with modern physics


In contrast to classical physics, "modern physics" is a slightly looser term which may refer to just quantum physics or to 20th and
21st century physics in general. Modern physics includes quantum theory and relativity, when applicable.

A physical system can be described by classical physics when it satisfies conditions such that the laws of classical physics are
approximately valid. In practice, physical objects ranging from those larger than atoms and molecules, to objects in the
macroscopic and astronomical realm, can be well-described (understood) with classical mechanics. Beginning at the atomic level
and lower, the laws of classical physics break down and generally do not provide a correct description of nature. Electromagnetic
fields and forces can be described well by classical electrodynamics at length scales and field strengths large enough that
quantum mechanical effects are negligible. Unlike quantum physics, classical physics is generally characterized by the principle
of complete determinism, although deterministic interpretations of quantum mechanics do exist.

From the point of view of classical physics as being non-relativistic physics, the predictions of general and special relativity are
significantly different from those of classical theories, particularly concerning the passage of time, the geometry of space, the
motion of bodies in free fall, and the propagation of light. Traditionally, light was reconciled with classical mechanics by
assuming the existence of a stationary medium through which light propagated, the luminiferous aether, which was later shown
not to exist.

Mathematically, classical physics equations are those in which Planck's constant does not appear. According to the
correspondence principle and Ehrenfest's theorem, as a system becomes larger or more massive the classical dynamics tends to
emerge, with some exceptions, such as superfluidity. This is why we can usually ignore quantum mechanics when dealing with
everyday objects and the classical description will suffice. However, one of the most vigorous on-going fields of research in
physics is classical-quantum correspondence. This field of research is concerned with the discovery of how the laws of quantum
physics give rise to classical physics found at the limit of the large scales of the classical level.

Computer modeling and manual calculation, modern and classic


comparison
Today a computer performs millions of arithmetic
operations in seconds to solve a classical differential
equation, while Newton (one of the fathers of the
differential calculus) would take hours to solve the
same equation by manual calculation, even if he were
the discoverer of that particular equation.

Computer modeling is essential for quantum and


relativistic physics. Classic physics is considered the
A computer model would use quantum theory and
limit of quantum mechanics for large number of
relativistic theory only
particles. On the other hand, classic mechanics is
derived from relativistic mechanics. For example, in
many formulations from special relativity, a correction factor (v/c)2 appears, where v is the velocity of the object and c is the
speed of light. For velocities much smaller than that of light, one can neglect the terms with c2 and higher that appear. These
formulas then reduce to the standard definitions of Newtonian kinetic energy and momentum. This is as it should be, for special
relativity must agree with Newtonian mechanics at low velocities. Computer modeling has to be as real as possible. Classical
physics would introduce an error as in the superfluidity case. In order to produce reliable models of the world, we can not use
classic physics. It is true that quantum theories consume time and computer resources, and the equations of classical physics
could be resorted to provide a quick solution, but such a solution would lack reliability.
Computer modeling would use only the energy criteria to determine which theory to use: relativity or quantum theory, when
attempting to describe the behavior of an object. A physicist would use a classical model to provide an approximation before
more exacting models are applied and those calculations proceed.

In a computer model, there is no need to use the speed of the object if classical physics is excluded. Low energy objects would be
handled by quantum theory and high energy objects by relativity theory.[5][6][7]

See also
Glossary of classical physics
Semiclassical physics

References
1. Weidner and Sells, Elementary Modern Physics Preface p.iii, 1968
2. Morin, David (2008). Introduction to Classical Mechanics (https://archive.org/details/introductiontocl00mori). New
York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521876223.
3. Barut, Asim O. (1980) [1964]. Introduction to Classical Mechanics. New York: Dover Publications.
ISBN 9780486640389.
4. Einstein, Albert (2004) [1920]. Relativity. Robert W. Lawson. New York: Barnes & Noble. ISBN 9780760759219.
5. Wojciech H. Zurek, Decoherence, einselection, and the quantum origins of the classical, Reviews of Modern
Physics 2003, 75, 715 or https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0105127/
6. Wojciech H. Zurek, Decoherence and the transition from quantum to classical, Physics Today, 44, pp 36–44
(1991)
7. Wojciech H. Zurek: Decoherence and the Transition from Quantum to Classical—Revisited Los Alamos Science
Number 27 2002 (https://arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/0306072)

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