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
DoNow: Determine what’s inside the bottle
Experiments
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
Develop Experiments
Recognize a problem
Formulate Rules
Develop a Hypothesis
Refine the Hypothesis
Predict Consequences
Publish Results
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
Creative
Leap
Consequences
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
☛ The scientific process begins when the scientist
develops consequences based on the idea/axiom
☛ A powerful idea/axiom has many consequences
☛ 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
Science
Life Science
Physical Science
Biology
Physics
Zoology
Chemistry
Botany
Geology
Physics – A Scientific World View
The Basic Science – Physics
 Physics is the most basic of all the sciences
Biology
Genes, cells, organs, growth,……
Chemistry
Molecules, reactions, equilibrium,……
Physics
Particles, atoms, energy, forces, ……
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
Common
Sense
Scientific
World View
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
Scientific Attitude
 Hypothesis – An educated guess that is
only presumed to be factual until
demonstrated by experiment
Scientific hypotheses must be testable
Hypothesis
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude
 Laws or Principles – Hypotheses being
tested repeatedly and not contradicted
Law/Principle
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude
 Theory – A synthesis of a large body of
information that includes well-tested
hypotheses about certain aspect of the
natural world
Theory
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude
 Concept – An intellectual framework that
is part of a theory encompasses the
overriding idea that underlines various
phenomena
Concept
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude
 Not appealing to authority, personal
preferences, popularity or selecting partial
facts
STOP
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude Review
 Hypotheses being tested repeatedly and
not contradicted
Law/Principle
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude Review
 An educated guess that is only presumed
to be factual until demonstrated by
experiment
Hypothesis
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude Review
 An intellectual framework that is part of a
theory encompasses the overriding idea
that underlines various phenomena
Concept
Physics – A Scientific World View
Scientific Attitude Review
 A synthesis of a large body of information
that includes well-tested hypotheses about
certain aspect of the natural world
Theory
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