Physics Lesson 1
A Scientific
World View
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Chin-Sung Lin
Physics – A Scientific World View
 What is Science?
 Role of Physics – The Basic Science
 Goal of Physics – A World View
 Scientific Method & Process
 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
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 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
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
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
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?
 Role of Physics – The Basic Science
 Goal of Physics – A World View
 Scientific Method & Process
 Scientific Attitude
 Criteria of Physics Models & Laws
 Science, Technology and Society
The End