SCI 111: Introduction to Physics and Chemistry

1. SCI 111: Introduction to Physics and Chemistry Chapter 1 What Is Science?

2. How would you describe this baseball to someone over the phone? Properties.

3. Quantifying Properties (aka Measurements) Measurement is a Process(3 steps) • “Comparing” • “Procedure” • “Counting” • Measurement always contains: • Number (How Much?) • Name (Of What?).

4. Nature of Science Scientific Method / Scientific Investigation 3 General Scientific Activities • Collecting observations • Developing explanations • Testing explanations “Understanding thru experimental evidence”.

5. Nature of Science Hypothesis • “Tentative” explanation about a phenomenon • Thought-derived or experiment-derived • An “Educated Guess” compatible with the data • Provides framework for understanding or describing it • Tested by Experiments / Controlled Experiments • Support: “Re-creation” of an event or occurrence ; “Reproducible” • Could lead to a Theory or Scientific Law

6. Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) Nature of Science Theory • Broad working hypothesis • Based on extensive experimental evidence • Tells you “Why” something happens. Fig 1.16

7. Fig 1.14 Nature of Science • Both help explain relationships that occur in nature consistently time after time • Describe how objects behave or act Scientific Law Scientific Principle • Wider-ranging phenomena • Can be expressed as: • Helps explain a more narrow range • More specific set of relationships.

8. Nature of Science Model • Description of a theory or idea that accounts for all known properties • Helps us understand something that cannot always be directly observed • Examples: • Physical • Mental (Conceptual) • An Equation. Fig 1.15

9. Understandings of Measurements Equations and Symbols Equations • Mathematical relationships between properties • Used to: • Describe a property • Define a concept • Describe how quantities change relative to each other Symbols • Represent specific quantities or measured properties • Shorthand for a message (e.g. Δ - a change in).

10. mks cgs p 5 meter [m] LENGTH MASS TIME kilogram [kg] second [s] Measurement Systems Metric Systems (SI) 3 Fundamental Properties (Standard Units)(most basic “Of What?” terms) centimeter [cm] gram [g] second [s]

11. Fig 1.8 Fig 1.6 Measurement Systems Other properties are “derived” from the Fundamental Properties The extentof a surface How much space something occupies

12. Table 1.4 Mass Density (ρ) • “Compactness of matter” • Ratio of mass to volume • Characteristic of a given material

13. Metric Prefixes Fig 1.7 • Represent larger or smaller amounts by factor of 10 • A “Simplification” • A movie giving a perspective on powers of ten.

14. Metric Prefixes Table 1.3 and in the front of textbook Important ones toremember / know: mega- kilo- centi- milli- micro-

15. Understandings from Measurements • Mathematical Review (Appendix A) • Solving Equations • Conversion of Units • Scientific Notation • How to Solve Problems • Steps to success ; Not steps to memorize • As you work problems, refer to this methodology.

16. Next Time Begin Chapter 2: Motion