Classical physics is the science of physics as it was conceptualized and practiced in the three centuries prior to the advent of either quantum physics or relativity early in the twentieth century. The character of classical physics is well-represented by Isaac Newton's (1642–1727) formulation of the study of motion and James Clerk Maxwell's (1831–1879) approach to the study of electromagnetism.

Classical mechanics

Classical mechanics, the scientific study of motion in the style developed in the seventeenth century by Newton, is often taken as the foundational branch of classical physics. General physics courses commonly begin with the study of motion and use Newtonian mechanics as the setting in which numerous basic concepts, such as energy, force, and momentum, are first introduced.

Physics has long been concerned with understanding the nature...