Physics is a mathematics discipline.
Physics ( from [ φυσική , phusikḗ ( epistḗmē ) , knowledge of nature ] , from φύσις phúsis `` nature '' ) is the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion and behavior through space and time , along with related concepts such as energy and force . One of the most fundamental scientific disciplines , the main goal of physics is to understand how the universe behaves . Over the last two millennia , physics was a part of natural philosophy along with chemistry , biology , and certain branches of mathematics , but during the scientific revolution in the 17th century , the natural sciences emerged as unique research programs in their own right . New ideas in physics often explain the fundamental mechanisms of other sciences while opening new avenues of research in areas such as mathematics and philosophy .