The unified physical picture of the world
As a science, physics began with Galileo (1564–1642), who relied on experiment to study inertia and the principle of relativity; Newton (1643–1727) created mechanics and the law of universal gravitation. On this basis the mechanical picture of the world formed: matter is substance made of particles, all motion reduces to mechanical motion, space and time are absolute, interaction is transmitted instantly, and every effect has a cause. In the 19th century Faraday introduced the idea of the electromagnetic field, Maxwell created the theory of the electromagnetic field and showed that light is an electromagnetic wave; so matter exists both as substance and as field, and interaction spreads with a finite speed. In the early 20th century Planck and Einstein showed that radiation consists of portions – quanta – and de Broglie showed that particles have wave properties: wave–particle duality is a property of all matter. Einstein’s theory of relativity rejected the absoluteness of space and time. Four fundamental interactions are now known: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong and weak.
Make a table with columns “mechanical picture” and “electromagnetic picture” covering matter, motion, speed of interaction and key scientists. Then add a third column “quantum ideas” and write the new ideas.