Welcome to the Physical Sciences

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Welcome to the Physical Sciences
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Objectives

• Syllabus
• Introduction
• What is Science?
• Scientific Method
• Types of Sciences
• What is Physical Science?
• Types of Physical Sciences

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Objectives (cont.)

• Chapter One The World Around You
• Objects and Properties
• Quantifying Properties
• Measurement System
• Standard Units for the Metric
• Understanding Measurements

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Syllabus

• Contact Information
• Emily Howard
• [phone] Anne Secretary
• howarde_at_fiu.edu
• www.fiu.edu/howarde/
• Office 14/134
• Office Hours 500 700 p.m. Mondays

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Syllabus (cont.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION A survey of physical sciences
for the non-science major. An integrated
approach is used to introduce topics in
astronomy, chemistry, geology, meteorology and
physics.   CO REQUISITE PSC 1191L  
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Syllabus (cont.)

• Attendance is mandatory
• January 13, 2003 100 refund
• March 24, 2003 Transfer to Audit
• Please inform if you know that you are going to
  be absent
• Need documentation if you are absent

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Syllabus (cont.)

• Schedule
• Chapters
• Homework every time
• Activities
• Final Project
• Activity Log
• Formal Write-up

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What is Science?

• Science is the systematic study of systems.
• Science studies these systems on why they work,
  how they work, and the relation of these systems.
• Science tries to ask questions that quantify the
  systems.

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Scientific Method
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Scientific Method (cont.)

• Example Bodes Law
• Question What are the distances to each of the
  planets from the sun?
• Testable Question It the distance of the planet
  Earth from the sun the sum of the distances of
  Venus and Mercury?
• Result Yes.
• Became law when we found Uranus and Neptune.
• But was disputed when we found Pluto.
• Was refined due to Keppler.

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Types of Sciences

• Physical Sciences
• Studies how physical phenomena work.
• Biological Sciences
• Studies how biological phenomena work.
• Social Sciences
• Studies how social systems work.

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What is the Physical Sciences?

• The Physical Sciences study how mechanical,
  electrical, chemical geological processes work
• It quantifies the processes with the language of
  mathematics.
• We also try to relate the processes above to each
  other.

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Types of Physical Sciences

• Astronomy
• The study of how the planets, stars, galaxies,
  and universe work.
• Physics
• The general study of how systems work
  individually and in connection.
• Chemistry
• The study of how atoms combine and create
  compounds.
• Earth Sciences
• The study of how the Earth and its atmosphere
  works

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Objects and Properties

• Concept (objects)
• An item we either deal with everyday or idea we
  have about a process, i.e. acceleration
• Properties
• A descriptor about a concept or object
• Qualitative versus Quantitative
• Referent
• A special descriptor that refers back to its
  object, i.e. blue sky

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Quantifying Properties

• Measurable Properties
• We want to be able to put a number as descriptor
• One way, Units
• Can be anything like paper clips
• Or feet.
• But can be variable, so we must standardize.

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Measurement Systems

• English
• Each empire had own system
• English standardize weight while a naval
  superpower Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
• Henry I (1101) determined a yard to be the length
  of his arm
• Divided into 3 feet with 12 inch per foot
• Inch were three barleycorns each
• Other standard measures came later

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Measurement Systems (cont.)

• Metric System
• Introduced by France as naval superpower in 1790
• Used in most countries today via a treaty
• Based on the powers of ten

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Metric System

• Fundamental properties
• Need length, mass, and time.
• Length meter
• Defined originally as a 1/100,000,000 of distance
  to the North Pole from Paris
• Krypton 86 wavelength
• Now 1/299,792,458 of a second of light travel

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Metric System (cont.)

• Mass kilogram
• The amount of matter
• No standard unit yet
• Time second
• Originally based on the movement of stars,
  providence of navy
• Now Cesium atom clocks

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Understanding Measurements

• Current Weather
• http//www.wunderground.com/
• Data
• Plural of datum (Latin word)
• Volume
• 1 in3, 8 in3, 27 in3 (or 1 m3, 8 m3, 27 m3)
• Area
• 6 in2, 24 in2, 54 in2 (or 6 m2, 24 cm2, 54 cm2)

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Ratios

• Allow the physical scientist to relate two
  properties
• Property 1 (numerator) to Property 2
  (denominator)
• Usually numerator is the y axis and denominator
  is the x axis on a graph.
• A formalized ratio has the independent variable
  in the denominator and the dependent variable in
  the numerator

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Ratio Example Density

• Most important ratio in physical science
• Tells about the state of the object and
  composition
• ? M/V
• D W/V
• Example frozen water (ice) versus liquid water

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Symbols and Equations

• Equations
• Variables
• Independent versus dependent
• Direct versus Indirect relationships
• Constants
• Example speed of light

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Simple Line Graph
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Homework

• Questions for thought
• 1, 6, 9
• Parallel
• B 3, 5