Final answer:
Fields such as physiology, geophysics, and agriculture are considered branches of science, while politics is a social science. Sociology is interested in aspects of human society like economics. Physics, a natural science, studies the laws of the universe and not the social behavior of beings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Definition of Social Studies Fields
To address which fields of study are branches of science, we can examine options like physiology, geophysics, agriculture, and politics. Of these, physiology, which examines the function of animals' or plants' bodies, and geophysics, which combines aspects of geology and physics, are indeed branches of science. Agriculture also applies scientific principles to the cultivation of plants and animals. Politics, however, is considered a social science because it pertains more to human societies and their government structures rather than to the natural universe.
Early sociology was primarily concerned with aspects of human society, and topics such as economics were of interest, revealing the behavioral patterns and social structures human societies create.
The field of physics, derived from the Greek word for nature, is aligned with natural science. It deals with the laws and principles that govern the universe. Contrary to one assertion, physics does not study the social behavior of living beings but focuses on matter and energy in the universe.
The discussion surrounding the disciplines that study the natural universe, brings into highlight fields such as geochemistry and astronomy. These are inherently focused on natural scientific inquiry, unlike accounting which deals with financial matters.