Some of the major unsolved problems in physics are theoretical, meaning that existing theories are currently unable to explain certain observed phenomena or experimental results. Others are experimental, involving challenges in creating experiments to test proposed theories or to investigate specific phenomena in greater detail.
A number of important questions remain open in the area of physics beyond the Standard Model, such as the strong CP problem, determining the absolute mass of neutrinos, understanding matter–antimatter asymmetry, and identifying the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Another significant problem lies within the mathematical framework of the Standard Model itself, which remains inconsistent with general relativity. This incompatibility causes both theories to break down under extreme conditions, such as within known spacetime gravitational singularities like those at the Big Bang and at the centers of black holes beyond their event horizons.
Isaac Newton in his book Opticks (first edition 1704), published a list of 31 queries about light and matter.
In 1900, Lord Kelvin in a speech identified two main issues in classical physics that represented "two clouds" for the physics of 20th century: the lack of evidence for the existence of the luminiferous aether and the failures of the equipartition theorem in predicting the heat capacity of solids. Both problems were solved within a decade with the development of special relativity and quantum mechanics respectively.
In 1982, Roger Penrose proposed a list of mathematical physics problems related to general relativity, about 14 problems remain unsolved as of 2017. A similar list of 53 problems was made by Robert Bartnik in 1988.
In 1984, mathematical physicist Barry Simon proposed a list of 15 open problems on quantum operators (about 5 already solved in 2000). A second list of 15 Simon problems was released in 2000 (at least 3 problems solved).
Nobel laureate Vitaly Ginzburg is known for having compiled from 1971 to 2005, a list of open problems in physics on "the verge of the 21st century", the final list includes 30 problems. Ginzburg also included three "great problems": the problem of the arrow of time, the interpretations of quantum mechanics and life arising from physics alone.
During the Strings 2000 conference a list of 10 millennium problems in theoretical physics was proposed by its members, none has been conclusively solved as of 2025.
Some mathematical physics problems are included in notable lists of unsolved problems in mathematics, these include:






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The deepest and most interesting unsolved problem in solid state theory is probably the theory of the nature of glass and the glass transition.