Physics is not a scientific discipline.
Biomechanics is the study of biological systems such as the human body , combined with the study of mechanics , or mechanical applications . 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 . Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines , perhaps the oldest through its inclusion of astronomy . 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 .