Chapter 1 About Science PDF

Hewitt Chapter 1 About Science  Objectives Physics is the Basic Science Scientific Method Observation, Facts, Hypothesis, Laws, Principles,Theories and Models Science and Technology Science and Religion  How old is Science? Begin before recorded history Humans...

Hewitt Chapter 1 About Science  Objectives Physics is the Basic Science Scientific Method Observation, Facts, Hypothesis, Laws, Principles,Theories and Models Science and Technology Science and Religion  How old is Science? Begin before recorded history Humans curious about they environment and sought explanations for the way in which their environment behaved. – Star patterns in the night sky – The patterns of the seasons – Making predictions about environment gave them control over it  A Brief History of Science Ancient civilizations. For example the Egyptian civilization. Greeks 3rd and 4th centuries BC. Known figures from that time – Aristotle and Pythagaros. During the Dark Ages Chinese charted the stars and planets while Arab nations developed mathematics and learned how to make glass and paper. Science as we know it today was developed during the sixteenth century and was advance by the printing press (15 th century).  What is Science? Science is the study of nature’s rules Many different branches – Life Sciences - study of living things Botany Zoology – Physical Sciences - study of non-living things Geology Chemistry Astronomy Physics  What Science is? (cont.) Science is more than a body of knowledge. It is also a method of exploring nature and discovering the order within nature, i.e. the rules that governs it. Science is also a tool for solving problems.  The Basic Science – Physics Study of how matter and energy interact Studies motion, forces, energy, matter, heat, sound, light, and composition of atoms Forms the basis for all other sciences Once things get small enough, chemistry essentially becomes physics Much of biology is nomenclature and organic chemistry Thus, biology builds on chemistry, while chemistry builds on physics!  Inferences & Observations An observation is the awareness of some condition; inference is the result of a mental process which attempts to explain or catalog or speculate about that observation.  Inferences & Observations The colors, smells that you may come across are directly observed and they can be classified as observations. When you do something with that observation, like draw a conclusion or offer an explanation or decide that a chemical reaction occurred, then you are making an inference. The inference may or may not be a correct one. Correctness is not what makes the difference between observation and inference.  Scientific Method A way science gets done A method to gain, organize, and apply new knowledge Its been around for a while… Principal founders of method – Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) – Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)  Scientific Method 1. Recognize a problem 2. Make a guess about a solution – called a hypothesis 3. Predict the consequences of the hypothesis 4. Perform experiments to test the predictions 5. Formulate the simplest general rule that organizes the problem, the hypothesis, and the experimental results  Scientific Attitude Not all discoveries were the result of following the scientific method Trial and error, experiments without guessing, accidental discovery Attitude helps in discovery – Inquiry – Experimentation – Humility  Basic Scientific Terms Fact – When several qualified observers agree with the same phenomenon – They are not absolute (things that were “facts” long ago have been proven wrong now!) – Over time, facts may take on different significances …  Basic Scientific Terms (cont.) Hypothesis – An educated guess as to the outcome – Not a fact – Must have a test for wrongness (i.e. falsifiable) – After tested by many scientists, a hypothesis may become a Law or Principle – They are changed or abandoned if contradicted by experimental evidence Examples of Hypotheses – Atoms are the smallest particles of matter that exist. This is a scientific hypothesis because it is testable. – Outer space contains a kind of matter whose existence can’t be detected or tested. This is not a scientific hypothesis because it cannot be tested. – The Pope of the Roman Catholic church is the holiest man on earth. This is not a scientific hypothesis because its an assertion that has no test (opinion).  Basic Scientific Terms (cont.) Law or Principle – When a hypothesis is tested repeatedly by many different scientists with the same outcome – May be changed if the right evidence is found to prove to the contrary – Is a description of the relationship between the quantities associated with observations which can be measured Examples of Laws and Principles – Newton’s laws of motion. Describe how the motion of a body is related to the force that produces that motion. These laws can be used to predict and explain the motion of a body to which a known force is applied. – Coulomb’s law Describes the electrostatic force between stationary point charges. This law can be used to predict and explain the electrostatic interactions between charges.  Basic Scientific Terms (cont.) Theory – A synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested and verified hypotheses, laws and/or principles about certain aspects of the natural world (atomic theory, cell theory) – Can be refined as new information is obtained  Basic Scientific Terms (cont.) Models – Models are similar to theories but are limited to explaining specific aspects of the natural world (Bohr’s planetary model of the atom) – Models are particular representations of phenomena in order to explain it better. – Can be refined as new information is obtained  Science and Technology Science is a method of answering theoretical questions Technology is a method of solving practical problems Science seeks to explain how Technology is the application of science  Science, Art, Religion Science – the discovering and recording of natural phenomenon Art – the study and appreciation of the value of human interactions as they pertain to the senses Religion – study of the source, purpose and meaning of everything  Something to Think About Is science absolute? Is technology good or bad for us? Do your think you should be aware of the issues of science and technology and how it can effect your life?