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Introduction

Dear friends!

You are beginning to study an interesting and difficult science – physics. Physics relates
to natural sciences and takes the lead among them as it covers a wide range of natural
phenomena. Why does the wind blow? Where do rivers flow? What is thunder and lightning?
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How is a spacecraft launched? Why doesn’t the Moon fall? How does our universe work? All the
answers to these and many other questions you will know by studying physics.

The word ‘physics’ comes from the Greek ‘physis’, translated as ‘nature’. This word first
appeared in writings of one of the most famous ancient philosophers, Aristotle, who lived
in the fourth century bc. The outstanding thinker Al-Farabi made the big contribution to
the development of physics in the East. He was called ‘the Second Master’ after Aristotle for
philosophical depth and accuracy of scientific knowledge. The Russian word ‘физика’ was
introduced to the Russian language by Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, who published the
first book of physics translated from German.
For historical reasons, physics as a science is the most important component of the culture
that is common to all of humanity. All people should know how our world works, take care
of nature and transform it for the following generations. They should understand the laws
under which natural processes take place, respect them and always remember that if the
first fallen tree was the beginning of civilization, the last one is the end.

One of the main objectives of modern education is to acquire skills for independent
observation and study of natural phenomena. Studying natural phenomena involves
conducting experiments. Knowledge of physical phenomena will lead you to understand
how various technical devices and mechanisms work. The task of physics is to discover and
study the laws connecting different physical phenomena of nature.

One of the outstanding physicists of the 19th and 20th centuries once said, ‘He who saw a
splendid harmony of the natural laws even from afar, will be more inclined to ignore own
egoistic principles than anyone else.’

We wish you further success in acquiring new knowledge!
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