Introduction to science and PHYSICS

1. Introduction to science and PHYSICS Physical Science 2012 Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

2. What is Science? • Science is the product of human curiosity about how the world works. • Organized body of knowledge that describes the order within nature and the causes of that order. • Science represents the collective efforts, findings, and wisdom of the human race to create testable laws and theories. • We will learn about the rules of nature, how things are connected. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

3. Brief History of Science • Science is based on rational thinking about the physical world. • Science started when people first discovered repeating patterns in nature and tried to explain them (star and weather patterns). • They tried to make predictions based on patterns. • For a long time science was discouraged as religious institutions felt threatened by it. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

4. Science and Religion • Scientists were persecuted. In the 16th century a polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus caused great controversy when he published a book stating that the Sun was the center of the Universe, and not the Earth. • Italian scientist Galileo Galilei was arrested for popularizing the Copernican theory. This theory conflicted with Church teachings. • These cycles occur age after age (Creation from the Genesis book, Evolution). From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

5. Science and Math • Even though the basis of Science is the use of rational thinking, it is necessary to integrate Science and Mathematics to create unambiguous relationships. Math will be used intensively during this Physical Science class. • Science and Human conditions advanced dramatically after Science and Math integrated about four centuries ago. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

6. The Scientific Attitude • A scientist should always experiment intensively to make sure his hypothesis are correct. It is possible that he/she finds evidence that contradicts his/her own initial ideas. • A hypothesis is an educated guess that is only presumed to be factual until supported by experiments. • When a hypothesis has been tested many times and has not been contradicted it could become a law or principle. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

7. Pseudoscience • For a claim to qualify as scientific, it must be reproducible by others who have no stake in whether it is true or false. • Claims that are presented as scientific but do not meet scientific standards are really “pseudoscience”, or literally “fake science”. • Astrology supposes a person’s future is determined by position and movement of planets. There is no test to prove it wrong. It is pseudoscience. • On TV: commercials to fight baldness, weight loss, etc. • There could be anecdotal evidence to support their claims, but may not be enough to be considered science. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

8. Science and Technology • Science is concerned with gathering knowledge and organizing it. • Technology lets humans use that knowledge for practical purposes. It also provides the instruments scientists need to do research. • Technology is applied science, like engineering. • Double-edged sword: can be both helpful and harmful. Examples? • Problems are not the fault of technology. It is humans who decide how to use it. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

9. Natural Sciences and its branches • Science studies the natural world, and it branches into the study of living things and nonliving things. • Life Sciences: Studies the living things, and it branches into areas such as Medicine, Genetics, Botany, Microbiology, and Biology. • Physical Sciences: Studies the nonliving things, and its main branches are Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Astronomy.

10. Branches of Physical Science • Main branches are Chemistry and Physics. • Chemistry is the study of the structure and properties of matter, how atoms combine to form molecules, and how the molecules combine to make the materials. • Physics is the study of all matter and energy and how they interact. Motion, force, gravity, electricity, light, and heat are parts of physics. From Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science"

11. Physical Sciences Branches • Physics and Chemistry, applied to Earth and its processes, make up Earth Science: Geology, Meteorology, and Oceanography. • Astronomy: Application of physics, chemistry, and geology to other planets and to the stars.

12. Class-work activity • Describe two contributions of Science and Technology in the following fields: industry, medicine and agriculture. • Individual or in groups of 2 or 3 maximum. • Mention three activities that you perform every day that involve technology. Explain how the development of these activities would be affected without technology. • Science and Technology can be used for positive or negative purposes. Do you think that scientific research should be limited because of this?

13. The Scientific method Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" The Scientific method is a logical and rational order of steps by which scientists come to conclusions about the world around them. It helps scientists to organize thoughts and procedures. A Hypothesis is “An educated guess; a reasonable explanation of an observation or experimental result that is not fully accepted as factual until tested over and over again by experiment.”

14. The Scientific Method Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" Observe: Observe the physical world around you and identify an issue to research. Question and Hypothesis: Establish a question and make an educated guess to answer the question. To do this you have to read about the topic. This is called a hypothesis, which is a simple statement that defines what you think the outcome of your experiment will be. Predict: Predict consequences that can be observed if the hypothesis is correct. These consequences should be absent if the hypothesis is not correct.

15. The Scientific Method Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" Experiment: Do experiments to see if the consequences you predicted are present Analyze results and draw a conclusion: Formulate the simplest general rule that connects hypothesis, predicted consequences and findings. The steps are rational and have proven to be very useful in scientific experimentation. But much progress happens by trial and error. Scientific conclusions are often improved or replaced, therefore the pursue of science is a dynamic process.

16. The Scientific Method Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" One experiment alone is not enough to prove that a hypothesis is correct (there could be errors). If original hypothesis doesn’t match up with the final results of your experiment, don't change the hypothesis. Instead, try to explain what might have been wrong with your original hypothesis. What information did you not have originally that caused you to be wrong in your prediction? What are the reasons that the hypothesis and experimental results didn't match up?

17. If hypothesis is proven wrong… Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" If a scientist finds evidence that contradicts a hypothesis, law, or principle, the scientific spirit requires that the hypothesis be changed or abandoned. Example: Galileo showed the falseness of Aristotle’s claim (384-322 BC) that an object falls at a speed proportional to its weight. This idea was accepted for nearly 2000 years. Galileo showed that heavy and light objects fall at nearly same speed (difference is result of friction).

18. Class-work activity Taken from Hewitt's "Conceptual Physical Science" I observe that my twin daughters have been applying avocado do their hair (playing “beauty salon”). I also believe that that month their hair grew much faster. I suspect there might be a relation between the avocado and the growth. Establish a hypothesis and design a simple experiment in the context of the scientific method to determine if the suspected relationship do in fact exists. Make assumptions about results, be creative!