Newtonian physics, also known as classical physics or Newtonian mechanics, is still taught for several reasons:
Simplicity and Intuitive Understanding: Newtonian physics provides a relatively simple and intuitive framework for understanding the motion of everyday objects. It is applicable to many real-world situations and provides accurate predictions for a wide range of scenarios encountered in our daily lives. Teaching Newtonian mechanics first allows students to develop a solid foundation in physics concepts before moving on to more advanced topics.
Historical Significance: Newtonian physics revolutionized our understanding of the physical world when it was introduced in the 17th century. It laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, which has been enormously successful in explaining the behavior of macroscopic objects. By studying Newtonian physics, students gain insight into the historical development of scientific ideas and appreciate the progression towards more sophisticated theories.
Limiting Case: Newtonian physics can be considered as a limiting case of more advanced theories. When objects are much larger than atomic or subatomic scales and move at speeds much slower than the speed of light, the predictions of Newtonian mechanics closely approximate those of more complex theories such as relativity or quantum mechanics. Therefore, Newtonian physics serves as a useful approximation in many practical situations and provides a bridge to more advanced theories.
Pedagogical Purposes: Teaching Newtonian physics helps students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical techniques. It introduces fundamental concepts such as force, mass, acceleration, and energy conservation, which form the basis of more advanced theories. By working with the mathematical formalism of Newtonian mechanics, students gain proficiency in mathematical modeling and analysis techniques that are transferrable to other areas of physics.
Context for Advanced Topics: Many advanced topics in physics, such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, build upon the principles of Newtonian mechanics. Understanding Newtonian physics provides students with the necessary background to explore these more complex areas.
While Newtonian physics has limitations and is not sufficient to describe phenomena at very small scales or high speeds, it remains a valuable and practical framework for teaching and understanding the physics of everyday objects. It serves as a stepping stone to more advanced theories and provides a solid foundation upon which more complex ideas can be built.