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About Science

About Science. Science. Science is the body of knowledge that describes the order within nature and the causes of that order.

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About Science

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  1. About Science

  2. Science • Science is the body of knowledge that describes the order within nature and the causes of that order. • Science is an ongoing human activity that represents the collective efforts, findings, and wisdom of the human race, an activity that is dedicated to gathering knowledge about the world and organizing and condensing it into testable laws and theories.

  3. Standards of Measure 50 40 30 20 10 1 1 2 10 20 30 40 50 AD 1 - birthdate of Jesus 1 CE 1BC 1 BCE • Science made great headways in Greece in the third and fourth centuries BC. • CE - Common Era and • BCE - Before the Common Era • are alternative notations for: • AD - (anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of the Lord") and • BC - (Before Christ).

  4. Standards of Measure • Science advance came to a near halt in Europe when the Roman empire fell in the fifth century AD. • Chinese & Polynesians were charting stars and planets. • Arabs were developing mathematics and learning chemicals. • Greek science was reintroduced to Europe by Islamic influences via Spain in 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. • Universities emerged in Europe in 13th centuries. • Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published book proposing that Earth revolves around the sun. • Italian physicist Galileo Galilei was arrested for popularizing Copernican’s theory.

  5. Scientific Measurements • Measurements are a hallmark of good science. • How much you know about something is often related to how well you can measure it.

  6. Size of Earth • The size of earth was first measured in Egypt by Eratosthenes in 235 BC. • Eratosthenes reasoned that on June 22 when the Sun is directly overhead, Sun’s ray would pass directly through the centre if extended. • Likewise, a vertical line extended into Earth at Alexandria or anywhere would also pass through the Earth’s centre.

  7. Size of Earth • At noon on June 22, Eratosthenes measured the shadow ast by a vertical pillar in Alexandria and found it to be 1/8th th eheight of the piller. • This corrsponds to a 7.2 angle between the Sun’s rays and the vertical piller. • Since 7.2 is 7.2/360, or 1/50 of a circle, Eratosthenes reasoned that the distance between Alexandria and Syene must be 1/50 the circumference of Earth. • Thus the circumference becomes 50 time the distance between these two cities. C = 50 x 800 km = 40,000 km • And the radius is r = C/2 = 6370 km

  8. Size of Earth • Shadow length/piller height = distance between cities/Earth’s radius • 1/8 = 800/r • And the radius is r = 800 x 8 = 6,400 km • Thus the circumference becomes 2r. • C = 2r = 2 x 3.14 x 6 400 km = 40,192 km • The Earth's equatorial radius, is the distance from its centre to the equator equals 6,378.135 km

  9. Size of Earth • Using conversion factor: • conversion relation is 7.2 = 800 km • conversion factors are, • Circumference is to 360 x = 50 x 800 km = 40,000 km 800 km 7.2 7.2 800 km 800 km 7.2

  10. Size of the Moon • Aristarchus correctly measured the Moon’s diameter and its distance from Earth in 240 BC. • D = 1/3.5 of Earth’s Diameter = 3640 km  3,476.2 km+ 5%

  11. Distance to the Moon • View a coin with one eye so it just blocks out the full Moon. • This occurs when your eye is about 110coin diameters away. • Coin dia/coin distance = Moon dia/Moon distance = 1/110 • Moon distance = 3476 km x 110 = 382360 km

  12. Distance to the Sun • Aristarchus also made a measurement of the Earth-Sun distance. • Aristarchus measured 20 times the moon’s distance. • In fact it is about 400 times. • Sun distance  150,000,000 km • In December, 147,000,000 km • In June, 152,000,000 km

  13. Distance to the Sun opposite base hypotenuse • sin X = opposite / hypotenuse • cos X = base / hypotenuse • Hypotenuse = base /cos A = distance between moon and earth / cos 87 = distance between moon and earth / 0.05 = distance between moon and earth x 20

  14. Size of the Sun • Coin dia/coin distance = Sun dia/Sun distance = 1/110 • Sun distance = 150,000,000 km • Sun diameter = Sun distance x 1/110 • Sun diameter = 150,000,000/110 = 1,363,636 km

  15. Mathematics – the Language of Science • Science and Mathematics integrated 4 centuries ago. • When the ideas of science are expressed in mathematical terms, they are unambiguous.

  16. Scientific Methods • There is no one scientific method. • But there are common features in the way scientists do their work. • Recognize a question – an unexplained fact • Make an educated guess - a hypothesis • Predict consequences of the hypothesis • Perform experiments or make calculations to test the predictions • Formulate the simple general rule that organizes the three main ingredients: hypothesis, predict effects, and experimental findings.

  17. Scientific Methods • Although these steps are appealing, much progress in science has come from trial and error, experimentation without hypothesis, or just plain accidental discovery by a well-prepared mind. • The success of science rests more on an attitude common to scientists than on a particular method. • This attitude is one of inquiry, experimentation, and humility – that is, a willingness to admit error.

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