By Dr V Palanivel 
Physics is all around us! Here are some fundamental physics concepts explained with everyday examples:
Physics Newton’s First Law (Inertia)
Example: A coffee cup on your car dashboard slides when you suddenly brake. The cup wants to stay in motion while your car stops.
Physics Newton’s Second Law (Force = Mass × Acceleration)
Example: Pushing an empty shopping cart is easier than pushing a full one because a heavier cart requires more force to accelerate.
Newton’s Third Law (Action-Reaction)
Example: When you jump off a boat onto a dock, the boat moves backward as you push against it.
Gravity
Example: Dropping a pen—it falls straight down due to Earth’s gravitational pull.
Friction
Example: Rubbing your hands together to generate warmth—friction converts kinetic energy into heat.
Air Resistance (Drag)
Example: A parachute slows you down because air resistance opposes motion.
Buoyancy (Archimedes’ Principle)
Example: A rubber duck floats in water because it displaces enough water to counteract its weight.
Bernoulli’s Principle (Flight)
Example: Blowing over a piece of paper makes it lift because fast-moving air above it reduces pressure.
Electricity (Static Charge)
Example: Rubbing a balloon on your hair makes it stick to the wall due to static electricity.
Refraction (Bending of Light)
Example: A straw looks bent in a glass of water because light changes speed when passing through water.
Resonance
Example: Pushing a swing at just the right moment makes it go higher because you match its natural frequency.
Thermal Expansion
Example: Metal lids on jars expand when heated, making them easier to open.
Conduction (Heat Transfer)
Example: A metal spoon gets hot when left in a pot of soup because metal conducts heat well.
Momentum
Example: A moving car takes longer to stop when going fast because it has more momentum.
Doppler Effect (Sound)
Example: An ambulance siren sounds higher-pitched as it approaches and lower-pitched as it moves away.
Read also: University Physics Physics Boundless The Basics of Physics