Physics Lesson 1

A Scientific World View

Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Chin-Sung Lin

DoNow: Determine what’s inside the bottle

If the current technology cannot open the bottle, how can you find out what’s inside?

Discuss it with your partner and write down 3 innovative ways

Physics – A Scientific World View

What is Science?

Scientific Method & Process

Role of Physics – The Basic Science

Goal of Physics – A World View

Scientific Attitude

Criteria of Physics Models & Laws

Science, Technology and Society

What is Science?

Physics – A Scientific World View

What is Science?

Discover and study nature’s rules

Physics – A Scientific World View

What is Science?

A body of knowledge The method to produce it

Body of Knowledge

Methods

Scientific Method

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Galileo Galilei & Francis Bacon are the principal founders of the scientific method

Physics – A Scientific World View

During the DoNow exercise, which steps have we taken to determine the contents of the bottle?

Discuss it with your partner and share them with the class.

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Observe

Recognize a problem

Develop a Hypothesis

Predict Consequences

Formulate Rules

Refine the Hypothesis

Publish Results

Develop Experiments

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Effective in gaining, organizing & applying new knowledge

The method is only a guideline to a good scientific practice

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Einstein’s view of scientific processes

Idea/Axiom

Consequences

Creative Leap

The Real World

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Einstein’s view of scientific processes

☛ A scientist makes a creative leap based on intuition to explain physical phenomena

☛ A powerful idea/axiom has many consequences

☛ The scientific process begins when the scientist develops consequences based on the idea/axiom

☛ Test these consequences against the real world

Role of Physics

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Basic Science – Physics

Science grew out of natural philosophy

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Basic Science – Physics

Branches into life & physical sciences

Life Science Physical Science

Biology

Zoology

Botany

Physics

Chemistry

Geology

Science

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Basic Science – Physics

Physics is the most basic of all the sciences

Particles, atoms, energy, forces, ……

Molecules, reactions, equilibrium,……

Physics

Chemistry

Biology Genes, cells, organs, growth,……

Goal of Physics

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Goal of Studying Physics

To create a scientific world view

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Goal of Studying Physics

World view – A shared set of ideas that explain how the material world operates

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Goal of Studying Physics

Scientific world view vs. Common sense –sometimes the ideas might appear to be contrary to common sense

Scientific World View

Common Sense

Physics – A Scientific World View

The Goal of Studying Physics

Scientists use instruments to extend the range of human sensations

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Attitude

Fact – A close agreement by competent observers who make a series of observations of the same phenomenon

Fact

Physics – A Scientific World View

Hypothesis – An educated guess that is only presumed to be factual until demonstrated by experiment

Scientific hypotheses must be testable

Hypothesis

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Laws or Principles – Hypotheses being tested repeatedly and not contradicted

Law/Principle

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Theory – A synthesis of a large body of information that includes well-tested hypotheses about certain aspect of the natural world

Theory

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Concept – An intellectual framework that is part of a theory encompasses the overriding idea that underlines various phenomena

Concept

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Not appealing to authority, personal preferences, popularity or selecting partial facts

STOP

Scientific Attitude

Physics – A Scientific World View

Hypotheses being tested repeatedly and not contradicted

Law/Principle

Scientific Attitude Review

Physics – A Scientific World View

An educated guess that is only presumed to be factual until demonstrated by experiment

Hypothesis

Scientific Attitude Review

Physics – A Scientific World View

An intellectual framework that is part of a theory encompasses the overriding idea that underlines various phenomena

Concept

Scientific Attitude Review

Physics – A Scientific World View

A synthesis of a large body of information that includes well-tested hypotheses about certain aspect of the natural world

Theory

Scientific Attitude Review

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Attitude Review

A close agreement by competent observers who make a series of observations of the same phenomenon

Fact

Criteria of Physics Ideas & Laws

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Criteria of good scientific ideas

☛ As general as possible

☛ As simple as possible

Physics – A Scientific World View

Scientific Method

Criteria of a physics law

☛ Account for the known data

☛ Make Testable predictions

☛ Have a scientific basis

Science, Technology & Society

Physics – A Scientific World View

Science, Technology & Society

Science vs. Technology – Targets

Questions about Nature Problems of the World

Physics – A Scientific World View

Science, Technology & Society

Science vs. Technology – Goals

Answer Theoretical Questions Solve Practical Problems

Physics – A Scientific World View

Science, Technology & Society

Science vs. Technology – Methods

Find Relationships Develop Tools & Procedures

Physics – A Scientific World View

Science, Technology & Society

Science vs. Technology – Results

Scientific Theories Engineering Solutions

Summary – A Scientific World View

What is Science?

Scientific Method & Process

Role of Physics – The Basic Science

Goal of Physics – A World View

Scientific Attitude

Criteria of Physics Models & Laws

Science, Technology and Society

The End