What is Phenomenon?

Information about Phenomenon

For other uses, see Phenomena (disambiguation).
A phenomenon (Greek: φαινόμενoν, pl. phenomena φαινόμενα) is any occurrence that is observable.[1]

Use in physics

In physics phenomena are the subject of all observation. A phenomenon may be a feature of matter, energy, or spacetime. For example, Isaac Newton made observations of the phenomenon of the moon's orbit. Additionally, Galileo Galilei made observations of pendulum related phenomena. [2]

General use

The word phenomenon is also used in popular culture to describe a natural event with a large scale. The difference between the use of phenomenon in general use and that in physics is that in general use it is only used to describe observable events of epic proportions. For example: "That bolt of lightning was an amazing phenomenon." In addition, phenomenon can also refer to a surprising course of development, such as an unusually successful career.

Use in philosophy

See main article: phenomenon (philosophy)

In philosophy, the use of the word phenomenon differs from other uses in that it refers to perceived events. Phenomena may be perceived through a person's senses or with their mind.

See also

References

1. ^ New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd ed.)
2. ^ Jeremy Bernstein, A Theory for Everything, Copernicus, An imprint of Springer-Verlag, New York, 1996, hardback, ISBN 0-387-94700-0
A phenomenon (plural: phenomena) is an observable event, particularly something special.

Phenomena may also refer to:

In science:
  • Anomalous phenomenon, (parapsychology)
  • Electrical phenomenon, (electricity)

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The word event can have several meanings:

Culture and social life

  • A festival, for example a musical event
  • A ceremony, for example a marriage
  • A competition, for example a sports competition
  • A party, for example a birthday party

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Physics is the science of matter[1] and its motion[2][3], as well as space and time[4][5] —the science that deals with concepts such as force, energy, mass, and charge.
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matter is commonly defined as the substance of which physical objects are composed, not counting the contribution of various energy or force-fields, which are not usually considered to be matter per se (though they may contribute to the mass of objects).
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energy (from the Greek ενεργός, energos, "active, working")[1] is a scalar physical quantity that is a property of objects and systems of objects which is conserved by nature.
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spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single construct called the space-time continuum. Spacetime is usually interpreted with space being three-dimensional and time playing the role of the fourth dimension.
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Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton at 46 in
Godfrey Kneller's 1689 portrait
Born 4 January 1643(1643--) [OS: 25 December 1642]
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Galileo Galilei

Portrait of Galileo Galilei by Giusto Sustermans
Born January 15 1564(1564--)[1]
Pisa, Tuscany - Italy
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Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.[1] A bolt of lightning can travel at a speed of 100000 mph (0 km/h), and can reach temperatures
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For other uses, see Phenomena (disambiguation).
A phenomenon (Greek: φαινόμενoν, pl. phenomena φαινόμενα) is any occurrence that is observable.
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Philosophy is the discipline concerned with questions of how one should live (ethics); what sorts of things exist and what are their essential natures (metaphysics); what counts as genuine knowledge (epistemology); and what are the correct principles of reasoning (logic).
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Senses are the physiological methods of perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology (or cognitive science), and philosophy of perception.
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system has a technical meaning, namely, it is the portion of the physical universe chosen for analysis. Everything outside the system is known as the environment, which in analysis is ignored except for its effects on the system.
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Observation is an activity of a sapient or sentient living being (e.g. humans), which senses and assimilates the knowledge of a phenomenon in its framework of previous knowledge and ideas.
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Physicalism is a philosophical position holding that everything which exists is no more extensive than its physical properties; that is, that there are no kinds of things other than physical things.
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