physicist
His or her work ranges from basic research into the most fundamental laws of nature to the practical development of devices and instruments. Theoretical physicists use mathematical concepts to analyze and predict the behavior of the physical world. The study of physics falls into many categories. These include studies of the motion and properties of physical objects both large and small (classical and quantum mechanics, astrophysics), the properties of waves (optics, acoustics, the properties of states of matter (solid state, plasma physics), and the fundamental properties of matter and energy (atomic, nuclear, and particle physics). The majority of physicists are employed by universities and divide their time between research, teaching, and writing scientific articles. Across most categories, physicists also tend to specialize in theoretical and experimental work. The physicist deals with all aspects of matter and energy. In both universities and industry, there have been ...