Two modern day Isaac Newtons who you may recognise are Prof Jim Al Khalili (pictured above) and Dr Brian Cox ( Ppicturd Below), both are very knowledgeable Physicists and both are very entertaining presenters, definitely worth watching their presentations if you haven't before.

Solids Liquids & Gasses

Basic School Sciences

We'll start with something that everyone knows: Water. We are taught that water is a liquid, and when it gets heated it changes to Steam (a Gas), and when it gets frozen it changes to Ice. (A solid). In recent times the melting of the polar ice has been blamed on sea levels rising, but that is certainly not what Science states. Next is a interesting experiment that you can do with your kids at home, or maybe as a teacher in class:

 So the next time you hear "trust the science" it really is important that you know Science, and trust a scientist instead of a politician!

Atomic Physics

In School Physics we are focussed on molecular Physics but when we go higher into physics we encounter Atomic Physics (often today called: Atomic physics, Quantum physics or Quantum Mechanics)

Atoms are incredibly tiny electro magnetic energy fields comprispng  of a nucleus which is made up of  protons and Neutrons, surrounded by Electrons.

These elements are electro magnetically charged meaning they are always on the go.

Atoms can also combine to form Chemical Compounds through Chemical Bonds, so now we're not talking about water, ice and steam anymore.

So because of Physics, we know about Atoms, and because atoms are found. In physics, chemistry, and biology,  it's fair to say that a good understanding of physics is important. Further to that it's fair to say that despite many people thinkig of their school teachings of solids, liquids and gasses, most people are wrong:  buildings are not solids. Once you understand Atoms better, it does beg the question of:  what on earth is actually a true solid?

We have this video on our youtube channel, but it is not one of our own making. It is however a very nice, easy one to follow so rather than reinventing the wheel, we'll happily crediit and thank the originator of this video.

No Building Is a solid

Every individual element of every individual building expands and contracts, and the most common causes of these occurrences are temperature and humidity.

As elements warm they get excited and expand, then as they cool they contract again, this is simple molecular science: us humans are made up of molecules and we tend to huddle up in the colder months to retain warmth, whereas we get hot in the warner months so we tend to strip off some clothing and get all excited resulting in summer BBQ's in the garden. 

All buildings must be considered for expansion and contraction throughout the year, not just about now!

When it rains the earth absorbs that rainwater and the earth expands, during summer that rainwater is evaporated back into the atmosphere so that more rain clouds can be formed to rain on us all over again.  But of course we must accept that our buildings are constructed on foundations which are formed in the earth, meaning as the earth expands, the building is encountering a force from that ground expansion, so now we're back to Newtons Laws Of Motion.

All buildings contain a  lot of timber elements, but they are really just dead trees! When a tree is living and growing it absorbs nutients through by absorbing ground moisture through it's roots via natural capillaries, but once it's been cut down, dried out !seasoned, and put through a sawmill to make 'timber' those capillaries are still there inside that 'timber' and they will absorb moisture through adhesion & cohesion, a process collectively called Capillary Action. Of course this in turn causes that 'timber' to expand in size, and to contract back again as that moisture is dried out again, 

Metals also expand and contract through variations in temperature; they expand with heat and contract with cold

Back when we started out we had 'yard sticks' which were measuring sticks made to 1 yard long with inches  in between (today we now work in metric). but the same laws of science still apply: we could measure the same building element in summer, again in autumn, again in winter and again in spring, and we would always get 4 different measurements, obviously because of expansion and contraction of that timber yard stick, plus the building element itself  expanding and contracting due to the seasonal temperature and humidity variations over 1 year.

That's enough to start with, We'll cover more another time because:

1. Chemistry knowledge is needed for correct Decorating,along with the physics of subbstrates from what we are seeing nowadays! 
2.  Bioloogy knowledge is needed with chemistry for dealing with insects, beetles, pests, and fungal growths which most call "mould, and rot" today - far too many people now just see product names, because our old friend Mark Eting has duped people, but they don't know (or seem to care) what risks of damage to their own, and others human biology is in some of those "products".
3. And of course Physics, especially Atomic physics, encompasses all, plus more.