Physical object

In <a href="/facts/Natural_language/B4gLS7Kd">natural language</a> and <a href="/facts/Physical_science/30ztjEKK">physical science</a>, a physical object or material object (or simply an object or body) is a contiguous collection of <a href="/facts/Matter/osyc04UN">matter</a>, within a defined boundary (or <a href="/facts/Surface/0XA8ce89">surface</a>), that exists in <a href="/facts/Space/tq6LUM3C">space</a> and <a href="/facts/Time/HceJKUGB">time</a>. Usually contrasted with <a href="/facts/Abstract_objects/uNshak6S">abstract objects</a> and <a href="/facts/Mental_representation/dlny9gvs">mental objects</a>.
Also in common usage, an object is not constrained to consist of the same collection of <a href="/facts/Matter/osyc04UN">matter</a>. Atoms or parts of an object may change over time. An object is usually meant to be defined by the simplest representation of the boundary consistent with the observations. However the laws of physics only apply directly to objects that consist of the same collection of matter.
In <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a>, an object is an <a href="/facts/Identity_(philosophy)/F9rr3GkA">identifiable</a> collection of <a href="/facts/Matter/osyc04UN">matter</a>, which may be constrained by an identifiable boundary, and may move as a unit by <a href="/facts/Translation_(physics)/KlpWmnfX">translation</a> or rotation, in <a href="/facts/Three-dimensional_space/KAqKWUbS">3-dimensional space</a>.
Each object has a unique identity, independent of any other properties. Two objects may be identical, in all properties except position, but still remain distinguishable. In most cases the boundaries of two objects may not overlap at any point in time. The property of identity allows objects to be counted.
Examples of <a href="/facts/Scientific_model/aNyvIyUQ">models</a> of physical bodies include, but are not limited to a <a href="/facts/Particle/JHKr2w6h">particle</a>, several <a href="/facts/Fundamental_interaction/WrFEJaFl">interacting</a> smaller bodies (<a href="/facts/Particulate/RleGr5E6">particulate</a> or otherwise). Discrete objects are in contrast to <a href="/facts/Continuous_media/vI7LpFDk">continuous media</a>.
The common conception of physical objects includes that they have <a href="/facts/Extension_(metaphysics)/MjU7yyav">extension</a> in the <a href="/facts/Universe/XbfpnDmM">physical world</a>, although there do exist <a href="/facts/Physical_theory/Cs2Y12rQ">theories</a> of <a href="/facts/Quantum_physics/BRc3Mzgr">quantum physics</a> and <a href="/facts/Cosmology/yM19zM7Y">cosmology</a> which arguably challenge[how?] this. In modern physics, "extension" is understood in terms of the <a href="/facts/Spacetime/uRIN1x4b">spacetime</a>: roughly speaking, it means that for a given moment of <a href="/facts/Time/HceJKUGB">time</a> the body has some location in the space (although not necessarily amounting to the abstraction of a <a href="/facts/Point_(geometry)/6YPAvX2a">point</a> in <a href="/facts/Space-time/uRIN1x4b">space and time</a>). A physical body as a whole is assumed to have such <a href="/facts/Physical_quantity/S8pWBEpK">quantitative</a> properties as <a href="/facts/Mass/HHdc8XmF">mass</a>, <a href="/facts/Momentum/TTkGv5eY">momentum</a>, <a href="/facts/Electric_charge/xxsBfmlB">electric charge</a>, other <a href="/facts/Conservation_law_(physics)/6g1Ay2FR">conserved quantities</a>, and possibly other quantities.
An object with known composition and described in an adequate physical theory is an example of <a href="/facts/Physical_system/tdSfxvIB">physical system</a>.

Physical object open-in-new

Physical object