Could someone please tell me the difference between physics, astronomy and cosmology?

[seriously disabled]

Wikipedia tends to complicate things and after reading a lot of articles on Wikipedia I became totally confused.

 

So could you please tell me the difference between physics, astronomy and cosmology?

 

Also what is the difference between astronomy, astrophysics and physical cosmology?

[mathematic]

There is a lot of overlap, but I'll try to give a simple explanation.

 

Cosmology is primarily concerned with the origin and development of the universe.

Astronomy is concerned with examining the universe and its constituents (planets, stars, galaxies, etc.).

Physics is concerned with theories of matter and energy.

[ajb]

Loosley, phsyics is the study of the properties and mathematical modelling of "stuff", while cosmology is the application of physics to the large scale structure of the Universe and astronomy is the application of physics to the study of heavenly bodies within the Universe.

 

Again loosley, astronomy is the act of collecting data on the heavenly bodies, physical cosmology is the act of collecting data on the large scale structure of the Universe. Astrophysics is the mathematical modeling of the heavenly bodies, and cosmology is the mathematical modeling of the large scale structure of the Unievrse.

 

Really, there is plently of overlap here and I am sure that one cannot put each into neat boxes.

[DARK HUNTER]

Physics describe every day phenomena like movement,temperature,electiricty,magnets,mass,gravity,light etc...

 

Astronomy examines celestial bodies (stars,planets,satellites,asteroids,comets,nebulas) like their size,orbit,trajectory,velocity etc...

 

Cosmology deals with the origin and structure of the cosmos.

[krash661]

PHYSICS

 

the study of the laws that determine the structures of the universe with reference to the matter and energy of which it consist.

 

It is concerned not with chemical changes that occur but with the forces that exist between objects and the interrelationship between matter and energy.

 

Traditionally,the study was divided into separate fields:

heat, light, sound, electricity and magnetism, and mechanics (classical physics).

 

Since the turn of the century, however, quantum mechanics and relativistic physics have become increasingly important ; the growth of modern physics has been accompanied by the studies of atomic physics, nuclear physics and particle physics.

 

the physics of astronomical bodies and their interactions is know as astrophysics,the physics of the earth is know as geophysics,and the study of the physical aspects of biology is called biophysics.

 

THEORETICAL PHYSICS

 

The study of physics by formulating and analyzing theories that describe natural processes.

 

Theoretical physics is complementary to the study of physics by experiment,which is called experimental physics.

 

A large of theoretical physics consist of analyzing the results of experiments to see whether or not they obey particular theories.

 

The branch of theoretical physics concerned with the mathematical aspects of theories in physics is called mathematical physics.

[timo]

A large of theoretical physics consist of analyzing the results of experiments to see whether or not they obey particular theories.

I believe this large field of comparing experimental results to theory predictions is usually referred to as "experimental physics".

[ajb]

I believe this large field of comparing experimental results to theory predictions is usually referred to as "experimental physics".

Yes, though in theoretical physics "phenomenology" means trying to make theory and experiment meet up. People working in particle phenomenology are trying to compare theoretical preidctions with experimental data from colliders and other experiments, for example.

[krash661]

I believe this large field of comparing experimental results to theory predictions is usually referred to as "experimental physics".

theoretical physics is complementary to the study of physics by experiment,which is called experimental physics. Edited May 10, 2013 by krash661

[Klaynos]

I'm yet to meet a physicist who does not use both physical theories and experimental results.

[DevilSolution]

If you look at it as a hierarchy then physics and philosophy would be the roots, creating the trunk. Physics then branches off into all other fields of science and philosophy into the arts. Cosmology and Astronomy would be 2 primary branches of physics, Cosmology being cause and effect, Astronomy being the current state.

[swansont]

If you're going to narrow it down to two categories, you have theoretical physicists , who do theory, and you have experimentalists, who do experiments and theory — you can't design and run an experiment without knowing and manipulating theory to some degree, i.e. you don't get around doing theory as a physicist. But, in general, experimentalists don't delve as deep into theory. (and, by "in general" I mean you can find people who don't fit this description) The people who only do work with equipment are known as technicians. (no shame here — they can sometimes be mistaken for wizards in the way they get things to run)

 

I think you classify experimental physicists as those actually carrying out the experiment. Theoreticians can (and do) crunch data and use result of experiments.