The Nature of Physical Science

Instructor: Richard Brill Professor of Science
Honolulu Community College	email: sci 122@hcc.hawaii.edu
Office: Building 5, Rm. 102 E	fax: 239-5152
Hours: T & Th 4:30 - 5:30 P.M.	phone: 845-9488

Science 122 Introduction to Physical Sciences (4) (3 hrs. lect.; 3 hrs. lab.) Cross-listed with Physics 122

Science and modern society. A survey of the growth, development and principles of physics, astronomy, and chemistry with greater emphasis on the first two disciplines.

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READ THIS SYLLABUS CAREFULLY

This syllabus is your first reading assignment for the course. The instructor will assume that you will have read it and studied it until you understand it.

You are responsible for fulfilling all course requirements as defined herein.

This syllabus defines the goals, objectives, structure, content, grading and procedures for the course. You will be much more successful in this course if you know where you are and where you are going, and if you understand how the course is organized.

The instructor is here to guide you through the course, but you must take the initiative to learn how to learn, and how to locate and navigate through information resources. It may be unlike other courses that you have taken, and may not be what you expect.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goals

1. Explore the laws, methods, and history of thought in physical science through selected topics in physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth science.

2. Comprehend the physical component of the immediate environment and its relation to the universe.

3. Appreciate the unity of materials and processes among the earth, planets, and stars.

4. Cultivate the ability for abstraction, analysis, and pictorial intuition.

5. Develop a humanistic and integrated view of man, science, society, and nature.

6. Examine the methods and insights by which knowledge has grown.

7. Acquire an appreciation for the unity of mankind's thoughts and perceptions in science, mathematics, art, literature, music, and philosophy.

8. Learn to think logically, critically, linearly, and symbolically.

9. Learn to analyze, synthesize, observe, draw conclusions and write the results in a clear and concise style.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic physical concepts and principles.

2. Demonstrate insights into associations and relationships among the physical sciences.

3. Demonstrate comprehension of the concept of proportionality in physical principles.

4. Use abstract and analytical reasoning to form conclusions.

5. Create and analyze graphical and pictorial information.

6. Calculate simple quantities from mathematically formulated principles.

7. Identify and assess quantitative information.

8. Demonstrate comprehension of the development of scientific thought in social context.

9. Demonstrate comprehension of the variables, descriptions, and principles of motion and gravitation.

10. Demonstrate comprehension of the abstract ideas of energy and momentum.

11. Demonstrate comprehension of conservation laws and their importance.

12. Demonstrate comprehension of the nature of thermal energy and the kinetic theory of matter.

13. Demonstrate comprehension of the basic laws and properties of atoms.

14. Recognize and discuss in expository form certain recurring themes in the unified system of science.

15. Write logical, clear and parsimonious expositions which demonstrate mastery of the nature of physical science.

16. Collect data, analyze it and submit reports which demonstrate comprehension of the principles and processes involved.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Textbooks

There are two textbooks for this course:

1. Introduction to Physical Science, by Booth and Bloom. This is a Xerox copy of part of a textbook from the previous millennium.

2. Seven Ideas That Shook The Universe by Spielberg and Anderson

Class Notes (Handout)

The class notes contain study questions, lesson objectives, a course outline, and brief summaries of the lessons. The copy handed out in class is an abbreviated version with space on the page for taking notes. It is advised that you use the outline to avoid having to take excessive notes. It is valuable to pay attention and think about the material as it is presented. A more expanded version is available for viewing and downloading in html format via the worldwide web:

www.hcc.hawaii.edu/distance/sci122/Programs/sgtxt.html

THE COURSE

Science 122 is a 4 credit, transferable, general science course designed for liberal arts and education majors. It fulfills a natural science laboratory core requirement at HCC and UHM, and may also be useful as a general introduction to more advanced study in the sciences. No previous study of science is required, but curiosity, good observations and an open mind will be useful attributes.

This is not your typical physical science course. It is a course about the nature of physical science. We are interested in the ideas and ideals of science as much we are interested in the facts. We will often explain how and why things work but only to emphasize the larger picture of science as a human activity. The course is non mathematical, although we will use math to show how mathematical symbolism identifies relationships and clarifies the thought process. Other than for illustrative purposes calculations will be done in the lab only.

The primary objectives of this course are that each student progresses towards developing an appreciation for the heritage, processes and products of science while learning how to think logically and critically, improving the ability to synthesize, analyze, evaluate,,and improve the ability to communicate the results in writing.

Science and the Citizen

In our modern world which is dominated by science and technology, we need to understand what science is, what it can do, and what it cannot do. The misconceptions and fears that surround science and technology from the perspective of non scientists is a sad state of affairs. The growth of technology and its use in the society tends to increase the gap between the scientifically literate and illiterate. Being scientifically illiterate in the modern world puts anyone at a disadvantage who wants to exist in it and who wants to benefit from knowledge of it or make contributions to it.

The physical universe has stimulated the curiosity of mankind from the beginning. Are we losing that curiosity in our modern world? It is not only scientists who ask questions about who we are, why we are here, and why the universe seems to made just for us to be in it?

Our current knowledge of the behavior of matter and energy, although incomplete, reveals order and interrelationships far beyond the imaginations of our ancestors. From the motions of heavenly bodies, the mathematical regularity of nature revealed itself as our minds became more sophisticated. As we have discovered more and more natural laws, by increasing the sophistication of our ideas through the creation of increasingly abstract concepts, the physical universe makes sense as it becomes more real, simpler, and less mystical. At the same time it becomes even more awesome to comprehend the magnitude and complexity of it.

In fact the more abstract it becomes, the simpler it seems. Things which seem at first glance to be separate are seen to be related in unsuspected ways. Investigations of various types will begin to suggest a unity among the separate sciences. For example Newton’s analysis of gravitation showed that the falling apple and a planetary orbit were part of the same phenomenon and were described by the same law, expressed in mathematical form. In a similar way, as the theory of the atom grew, it provided a unifying link between motion, energy, heat, electricity, magnetism, light, and chemistry.

Although we speak of the various sciences, the unity of physical laws suggests that there is really only one science. Science is a method of understanding which is required by its practitioners to be self-consistent and to reflect the observable world if it is to be any good at all.

It is much more than just a mere collection of facts and the development of science is more than just discovery of facts. Facts are always interpreted in cultural context, and with bias, although one ideal of science is to be free of them. There are unifying principles in science which may seem simple in retrospect, but which required a complex combination of social events in order to develop in the first place.

By understanding the development of scientific thought we can distinguish between science and pseudoscience and we can appreciate the methods and beneficial effects of science, but we can also appreciate the limitations of science and its potential for misuse among uninformed people.

The process of development of scientific thought mirrors one way in which the human brain learns. By understanding these processes of the growth of scientific inquiry, knowing just a few facts, and a few simple rules of behavior by which matter and energy abide, we can see the world around us in a different light. Along the way we will learn how to think critically, how to investigate the physical world, how to write and communicate ideas, how to research and use information resources, and learn to make critical judgments, solve problems, and function as responsible citizens in a society dominated by rapidly advancing science and technology, while it seems to suffer for the lack of comparable advances in humanity.

The sections.

Part 1 examines the beginnings and progress of physical science from its beginnings in ancient astronomy through the scientific revolution culminating in the heliocentric theory of Copernicus. The discovery that the Earth is not the center of the universe is one of the most significant and most difficult discoveries made by the human mind. Studying the processes by which we came to this knowledge gives us great insight into the workings of the mind and the nature of reality and science. It involves Greek philosophy, the authority of Aristotle and the development of the Church as a political force and authority in the middle ages. This approach gives us insight into the relationship between science, the society in which it exists and the minds of those who create and modify it.

Part 2 studies the scientific revolution. Beginning with Tycho Brahe's precise observations, through Kepler's inductive laws of planetary motion, through Galileo and his disagreement with the Church, ending with Newton's laws of motion. These laws are the basis for all of physics even today.

Part 3 looks at the impact of Newton's theory of and gravitation and the impact of the laws of motion and gravitation on subsequent thought, often called the Newtonian paradigm. Newton's work exemplifies the combination of clear scientific reasoning, the use of mathematics and the creativity of genius. Newton's universal view of forces, motion and gravity made sense out of the heliocentric view and at the same time provided the framework for the development of the concepts of energy and conservation in understanding the nature of heat. It is in fact, the basis for all of modern science.

Part 4 is concerned with the development of atomic theory and its integration with the Newtonian paradigm. Here we go back to early times and trace the development of man's knowledge and understanding of the chemical properties of matter. Through the atomic model we link Newtonian physics with atoms to understand heat. Then we begin to see the statistical nature of matter in the laws of thermodynamics. Finally we see how emerging knowledge of the electrical nature of matter blends the two basic physical sciences of physics and chemistry and builds a consistent atomic model.

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF IDEAS

We will focus on the cultural heritage of ideas and how these ideas relate to studies of life, Earth and the Universe. The ideas of science are universal, meaning that they are likewise composed of many ideas which have flowed together to create this common reality we call the physical universe.

Ideally, the laws of nature do not depend on cultural preferences, although such preferences often drive our scientific methods and classifications. Although this ideal is not entirely true, it is a good ideal, a goal to aim for in our science.

During the course we may take a wrong turn now and then. Like explorers, the development of science has traveled up wrong rivers and into dead end streams. We can learn much from studying these as well as from studying the "right" path. Some students have asked of this course, "Why do we have to learn the wrong theories, why don’t you just tell us the right theories," or "I'm not going to major in science, why do I have to learn this stuff?"

Why do you think we do that, ask you to study the wrong theories as well as the right ones, or to study science at all?

We are in a strange city with a map and a car. We need to get someplace but not in a hurry. We can simply find and follow the shortest route to get where we want to go. When we get there we can pat ourselves on the back for having learned how to read a map and for our brilliance in finding the shortest and quickest path.

But we will know nothing of the city.

With the map as a guide we might want to take a few side trips, getting out of the car to walk and to get a sense of the city and its people.

Getting to know the city will enable us to find our way around without a map, and that is really our goal.

Dangerous ? Maybe in a city, but not in a college course.

Difficult? Yes. At first. It is like physical exercise. If you are a couch potato it will be uncomfortable at first to do the situps. If you are a mental couch potato, it will be a little uncomfortable at first to think logically and clearly.

We're not suggesting that anyone taking this course might be a mental couch potato, although we can’t rule out the possibility. So potato, or other vegetable or no vegetable at all, we all can stand to improve our mental abilities as well as our physical ones.

We do want to be healthy don’t we?

The culture of science is part of a long tradition of shared culture, and has a heavy Western emphasis.

With its diverse origins, our modern scientific world view has been a successful one. Here, near the millennium, we are advancing at an alarming rate in our knowledge. We are able to see that much of the ancient science was really very similar in different parts of the world, even where there was little or no social contact for tens of thousands of years, such as between the old and new worlds. We also are beginning to see how much our modern science has in common with some of the ancient ideas of other cultures.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

College courses require a significant amount of independent study. The material of this course cannot be mastered just by attending class; it will require study time outside of class studying: reading, analyzing, synthesizing, and writing. To master means not just to memorize a set of facts but to understand, to make connections, to see relationships, to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information and to be able to write about them. It requires one to understand the facts and to know the vocabulary. As such, the following will be required of the A-student in this course:

• Think about the course material, its meaning and relationships. Observe it in the world around you.

• Approach each lesson with curiosity and the anticipation of discovery.

• Organize the material in your mind as you read and listen to the lectures.

• Study outside of class

• Care about the class

• Look for recurring ideas and themes.

EXPECTATIONS

We expect several things of students enrolled in this course. We expect that each student will take responsibility for his or her learning, that each student will progress toward the course goals and toward individual goals whatever they may be. It would be in each student's best interest to become familiar with the goals and objectives of the course as a whole, the objectives for each lesson, and these specific expectations.

1. independent study

Opportunities abound for each student in this course to tailor the learning experience to his or her own strengths. The instructor is here to guide you through the course, but the learning has to come from you, the student. Learning is an activity, it cannot be done passively, you cannot learn simply by watching.

2. cumulative understanding

There is unity in the universe and also in The Nature of Physical Science.

The "A" student will not forget the material once it is comprehended, and will integrate that comprehension with topics later in the course. It is the nature of physical science that there are many ideas and connections that run like a thread. The more those are understood and acknowledged, the more the student demonstrates his or her comprehension.

3. synthesis and critical thinking

Each student will be expected to think critically, and to synthesize information from several sources into a coherent and unique perspective on the course and its relevance to their own lives. Accordingly, the "A" student will demonstrate how well he or she has integrated the course material with the goals, themes, and objectives, with previous course material, and with the world outside the classroom. It will serve you well to remember that it is not the facts that are important, it is the significance and the context of the facts.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

This is a four semester hour course. Three hours is lecture/discussion and one hour is laboratory. So the lecture/discussion counts 75 percent and the lab counts 25%.

You should expect to spend about nine hours per week reading, writing, and studying. This is in addition to the time spent in class. Lab exercises should not require out of class time . If you find that you are doing well with less study time, that's good. But if you find you are not doing well as you would like, then you will have to either spend more time or learn to study more effectively.

Questions

Each student will submit the answers to a total of 50 questions, which will be 15% of the grade for the lecture portion of the course. The questions can be from the class notes or either of the texts, but no more than 5 questions from any one text chapter or study lesson. Each question is worth 3 points for a total of 150 points. See the section, "Course Grade" below.

Quizzes

Eight short quizzes will be given during the semester without advance notice. Each quiz will cover material from the previous week's class. The quizzes account for 20% of the grade for the lecture portion of the course.

Exams

Each of the four exams covers the material from one of the four parts of the course material..

Exams will be some combination of multiple choice and short answer.

Late exams will be allowed only for good cause and only at the discretion of the instructor. No late exams will be permitted unless the instructor is notified before the scheduled date, or in case of verifiable emergency.

Research Report

Each student will submit a research report at the end of the semester, (see schedule for due date) which will count for 25% of the grade for the lecture portion of the course. The report will be a standard college term paper of length 8 to 10 pages with appropriate bibliographical references.

The topic can be any, but it must be relevant to the class material and to the course objectives. It is advisable to communicate with the instructor about the subject and scope of the paper. Some suggestions for areas of research are: biographies of scientists, accounts of scientific discoveries, ways in which scientific discoveries have affected technology or society, descriptions of physical laws and theories, weird phenomena and their scientific explanations or refutations.

Laboratory

The laboratory portion of the course is twenty five percent of the grade. Each student is expected to work in the laboratory and to submit a report and/or data sheet.

The grade for the laboratory is determined from attendance (40%), lab quizzes (30%) and from the score on the laboratory reports (30%). Lab reports are graded on a three point scale.:

2: A thoughtful and careful attempt
1: Present but not involved
0: No report submitted

COURSE GRADE

Grades will be determined as follows:

Lecture (75%)		% of lecture grade	% of total
	Questions	15%	11.25%
	Quizzes	20%	15%
	Exams	50%	37.5%
	Research Report	15%	11.25%
	Total	100%	75%
Lab (25%)		% of lab grade	% of total
	attendance	40%	10%
	quizzes	30%	7.5%
	lab reports	30%	7.5%
	Lab Total	100%	25%

The Grading Spectrum

COURSE TOPICS

A listing of course topics is here.

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Last update 02/03/04