What is Science?

• Science is a way to teach how something gets to be known, what is not known, to what extent things are known (for nothing is known absolutely), how to handle doubt and uncertainty, what the rules of evidence are, how to think about things so that judgments can be made, how to distinguish truth from fraud, and from show.

• Richard Feynman

Some Assumptions of Science:

• The universe is regular and predictable (We can know it).

• Matter is made from atoms.

• Physical properties are determined by the type of & arrangement of atoms.

• Energy/mass are conserved in a closed system.

• The laws of nature are the same throughout our entire universe.

Science Vocabulary• Laws: Behavior that is always repeating.

• Ex: Hammers, books, masses all fall to center of Earth – Obey Newton’s Law of Gravity.

• Theories: Explanations or Models of why behavior occurs:

• Ex: Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Schrodinger Theory of atom.

• Scientific Method is used to build Laws and Theories.

• Physics

• nature and properties of matter and energy.

• Search for the fundamental laws underlying all physical behavior.

• Chemistry

• the investigation of the properties of matter & the ways in which they interact, combine, change; and the processes to form new substances.

• Classical Physics• 1900

• Motion• Forces

• Thermodynamics• Waves• Light• Electricity• Magnetism

• Modern Physics• After 1900

• Relativity

• Quantum Mechanics

Big Names

• Classical Physics ~ 1900

• Galileo• Newton• James Joule• James Clerk Maxwell• Andre Ampere• Michael Faraday

• Modern Physics after 1900

• Einstein• Planck• Bohr• Feynman• Heisenberg• Schrodinger• DeBroglie

Scientific Method

• Richard Feynman (1918 – 1988) –

• American Physicist known for pioneering work in quantum mechanics.

• One of the ten greatest physicists of all time.

• His discussion of Scientific Method.

The Scientific Methodwith handout

• Feynman on Sci Method. 10 min.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPapE-3FRwhttps:/

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOpQufNcx0I

Hwk:

• Math Assessment handout.

Film clips.

Feynman on Sci Method. 10 min.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPapE-3FRwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOpQufNcx0I

Minute Physics: What is the Universe 2:40.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrTsvn9usVQ

Physics Topics 2 minhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOpQufNcx0I