PHYSICAL SCIENCE RETURN to PHYSICAL SCIENCE

(SC 110) Spring, 2006

INSTRUCTOR: Thomas C. Gibbons | Questions? Contact me at tgibbons@eicc.edu

 Eastern Iowa Community College District | Clinton Community College

READING ASSIGNMENTS (AS LISTED IN DETAIL BELOW) WILL BE FOUND ON CERTAIN WEB DOCUMENTS AS WELL AS EXCERPTS FROM THE FOLLOWING BOOKS (ON RESERVE IN THE CLINTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARY):

Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, Ballantine Books, 1997 (called “Sagan” in the assignments below).

Henry Hodges, Technology in the Ancient World (called “Hodges” in the assignments below).

Isaac Asimov, Asimov’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, Hardcover edition, 1982 (called “Asimov’s Encyclopedia HC” in the assignments below).

 Isaac Asimov, Asimov’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, Paperback edition, 1976 (called “Asimov’s Encyclopedia PB” in the assignments below).  [In the Asimov assignments, read either the HC version of the PB version; no need to read both.]

Galileo, The Sidereal Messenger (Listed by name in the assignments below)

Galileo, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Listed by name in the assignments below)

Morris Shamos. Ed.,  Great Experiments in Physics (Listed by name in the assignments below)

Payne et al, Physical Science, Principles and Applications, 6th Ed., Wm. C. Brown Publishers (called “Payne et. al.” in the assignments below).

ALSO LOOK AT THE OUTLINE OF THE COURSE ON THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE WEB SITE. THERE IS MORE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE READING ASSIGNMENTS ON THIS OUTLINE PAGE AND SOME EXPLANATION ABOUT THE COURSE ITSELF. 

 

SCIENCE IS FULL OF TERMS THAT CAN SOUND STRANGE, AND IT IS ALSO FULL OF TERMS WHICH SOUND LIKE ORDINARY, EVERYDAY LANGUAGE BUT WHICH HAVE RATHER SPECIALIZED MEANINGS IN SCIENCE.  THERE IS A WEB PAGE THAT TRIES TO EXPLAIN MANY OF THESE TERMS ON THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE WEB SITE.  PLEASE USE THIS PAGE FREQUENTLY AS YOU READ THE OTHER ASSIGNMENTS, LISTEN TO CLASSROOM WORK, WRITE UP LABS, AND STUDY FOR TESTS.  THE TERMS PAGE IS AT THIS LINK.

 

 

 DAYS AND TIMES OF CLASS MEETINGS: 12:50PM - 1:50PM MWF, Lab12:50-3:00PM Thurs in Rm 127 at CCC

 

 

Spring, 2004-05 schedule and reading assignments: 

  1. How can you tell if it is science or something else.  Why would anyone care?  Why do people do science, and what is it? Why study science, anyway?

In Sagan:

·        Read p. 3 [beginning of Chapter 1] through p. 12 [dash at top of page].

·        Read p. 25 [beginning of Chapter 2] through p. 30 [dash at top of page].

·        Read [also from Chap. 2, p. 37 [from dash] through p. 39 [end of chapter].

·        Read [from Chapter 19] p. 321 through p. 329 [to the dash].

 

    II.            Where did science come from?

In Sagan:

·        Read Chapter 18 [on speculations about the origin of science and how old, or new, it might be].

In Hodges, read the following:

·        pp. 17 (middle of page) through 20 (setting the stage a bit)

·        page 29 (chemical change not yet discovered through about 5000 BC)

·        pp. 53 – 57  (copper)

·        pp. 61 (third paragraph) through page 62 (second paragraph)  (gold and silver)

·        pp. 91 (last paragraph) through p. 95 (first paragraph)  (bronze, tin, and solder)

·        pp. 142 through 146 (first paragraph)  (bronze and iron)

 

  1. If scientists use models, then where do models come from, and how reliable are they?  A famous model is the ancient Greek geocentric (earth-centered) model of the solar system. Like many models, it was built gradually with contributions from many people.  Of course, it was overthrown (much) later, but it was taken very seriously for a long time.  Here is some information about the early days.

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the sections on  [Read either the HC version or the PB version; you don’t need to read both.]

·        Thales (Entry 3, pg.2 in HC – Entry 3, pg. 2 in PB)

·        Anaximander (Entry 4, pg. 3 in HC – Entry 4, pg. 3 in PB)

·        Pythagoras (Entry 7, pg. 4 in HC – Entry 5, pg. 4 in PB)

·        Anaxagoras (Entry 14, pg. 8 in HC – Entry 14, pg. 8 in PB)

·        Plato (Entry 24, pg. 14  in HC – Entry 23, pg. 14 in PB)

 

 

  1. The ancient Greeks are famous for thinking that the sun and the other planets revolve around the earth.  But did anyone back then manage to get it right?

 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the sections on

·        Philolaus (Entry 19, pg. 11 in HC – Entry 18, pg. 11 in PB)

·        Heracleides (Entry 28, pg. 18 in HC – Entry 25, pg. 17 in PB)

·        Aristarchus (Entry 41, pg. 26 in HC – Entry 36, pg. 24 in PB)

 

  1. The (nearly) final version of the geocentric model was published by Ptolemy and is usually named after him.  However, he drew heavily on earlier work.  If a model is supposed to explain observations, how could anyone think that the geocentric model was actually worth anything.  Does it explain anything?

 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the sections on

·        Eudoxus (Entry 27, pg. 17 in HC – Entry 24, pg. 16 in PB)

·        Callippus (Entry 32, pg. 22 in HC – Entry 28, pg. 21 in PB)

·        Eratosthenes (Entry 48, pg. 32 in HC – Entry 42, pg. 29 in PB)

·        Hipparchus (Entry 50, pg. 33 in HC – Entry 45, pg. 31 in PB)

·        Ptolemy (Entry 64, pg. 42 in HC – Entry 59, pg. 40 in PB)

 

·        When you finish these, read the discussion at this link on how well the Ptolemy model worked and why it had to be replaced.

 

·        Also look at this slide show about how to explain the phases of the moon in both the geocentric models and the heliocentric models.

 

  1. How and why the geocentric model was overthrown, or how can you tell that the earth revolves around the sun?   The scientific evidence that something should replace the geocentric model, the work of Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler, and Galileo.

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the section on

·        Copernicus (Entry 127, pg. 74 in HC – Entry 114, pg. 68 in PB)

·        When you finish this, read the discussion at this link on some successes, some failures, and some presumed failures of the Copernicus model. 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the sections on

·        Tycho Brahe (Entry 156, pg. 91 in HC – Entry 137, pg. 83 in PB)

·        Johannes Kepler (Entry 169, pg. 105 in HC – Entry 149, pg. 96 in PB)

 

Also use the following links to explore Kepler’s Laws on the Internet:

 

·        Read about Kepler’s Laws and try the animations that illustrate the way planets follow these laws here, also here, and also here.

 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia read The section on

·        Galileo Entry 166, pg. 100 in HC – Entry 146, pg. 91 in PB

 

In The Sidereal Messenger written by Galileo,

·        Read pp. 36 (bottom) through 38 (first few sentences on the telescope itself).

·        Read pp.58 (bottom) to 63 (on some of his observations of stars), and pp. 64-67 and 83-86 (on the moons of Jupiter)

 

In the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems written by Galileo

·        Read pp. 462-465,

·        Read the note about page 464 (which is on page 491) 

·        Read the note about page 103 (which is on page 474).

  1. Why do the planets move as they do (that is, according to Kepler's Laws)? This leads to Newton's work, the laws of motion, and explanations for the way everything else moves. Or, at least, it seemed that way for a while.

·        Go to the following link for an explanation of Newton’s First Law.

 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read the sections on

·        Isaac Newton (Entry 231, pg, 148 in HC – Entry 201, pg. 134 in PB)

·        Edmund Halley (Entry 238, pg. 159 in HC – Entry 207, pg. 145 in PB) 

 

·        Go to the following link for an explanation of Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation.

·        Go to the following link for an explanation of Newton’s Second Law of Motion.

·        Go to the following Link to see how astronauts in orbit follow Newton’s Laws.

·        Go to the following link for an explanation of Newton’s Third Law and some applications to the solar system.

 

Read, in Asimov’s Encyclopedia, the section on

·        Edmund Halley (Entry 238, pg. 159 in HC – Entry 207, pg. 145 in PB)

  1. A well-established theory is overthrown -- Einstein's relativity replaces Newton's laws of motion. But Newton's laws are not forgotten because they still work if you are moving slowly enough. And slowly enough actually means pretty fast by human standards.

Read the following section in Asimov’s Encyclopedia on Einstein, and concentrate on what it says about relativity, not on the photoelectric effect and Einstein’s other work:

 

·        Albert Einstein (Entry 1064, pg. 673 in HC – Entry 871, pg. 588 in PB)

 

TEST NUMBER ONE AT THIS POINT (about the week of Feb. 27 -- exact date to be determined)

 

  1. Assembling a set of observations that need to be explained. The discovery of electromagnetic waves, electrons, x rays, radioactivity, photons, neutrons, protons, and the atomic nucleus. What, exactly, is light? What is an electron?

·        Read the article at the following link for an overview of 20th century physics and electromagnetic waves.

 

For the experimental detection of electromagnetic waves, read in Asimov’s Encyclopedia, the section on

·        Heinrich Hertz (Entry 873, pg. 564 in HC – Entry 718, pg. 494 in PB)

 

·        Read the article at the following link.  It tells something about what electromagnetic waves are, how they are related to electric forces and charges, how they are generated, and how they carry energy.  Click here for this article.

 

You should go to the following website for a demonstration of the spectra of the different elements.  It contains a diagram of chemical elements that chemists call the “periodic table of the elements”.  You should choose “emission spectra” at this website and then click some element.   The spectrum of that element will be displayed at the top of the screen.

 

For the discovery of x-rays, read, in Asimov’s Encyclopedia, the section on

·        Wilhelm Roentgen (Entry 774, pg. 502 in HC – Entry 639, pg. 441 in PB)

 

For the discovery of natural radioactivity, and some early work on this subject, read in Asimov’s Encyclopedia, the sections on

·        Henri Becquerel (Entry 834, pg. 539 in HC – Entry 689, pg. 473 in PB)

·        Pierre Curie (Entry 897, pg. 580 in HC – Entry 738, pg. 509 in PB)

·        Marie Curie (Entry 965, pg. 615 in HC – Entry 786, pg. 536 in PB)

 

[By the way, Marie Curie and her daughter Irene both won the Nobel Prize for different – though related - work in different years.]

 

For the discovery of the electron and the “Plum Pudding” model of the atom, read, in Asimov’s Encyclopedia:

·        Joseph John (JJ) Thomson  (Entry 869, pg. 561 in HC – Entry 714, pg. 492 in PB)

·        Robert Millikan (Entry 969, pg. 619 in HC – Entry 790, pg. 540 in PB)

 

Also read the brief account of Millikan and his work in

·        Great Experiments in Physics, Edited by Morris Shamos, pages 238-242.

 

In Asimov’s Encyclopedia, read about

·        Ernest Rutherford (Entry 996, pg. 635 in HC – Entry 814, pg. 555 in PB)

  1. A well-established theory is overthrown (Newton's laws -- again). This time it is overthrown by Quantum Theory, which applies (roughly) to objects that you confine to a very small space (such as in an atom). Newton's Laws are still not forgotten, because they continue to work very well for systems that are accessible to ordinary human observation. Only a brief description of quantum theory will be given, and it will be in non-mathematical terms.

in Asimov’s Encyclopedia, the sections on

·        Max Planck (Entry 887, pg. 571 in HC – Entry 729, pg. 501 in PB)

·        Albert Einstein (Entry 1064, pg. 673 in HC – Entry 871, pg. 588 in PB)(This time concentrate on what the Einstein section says about the photoelectric effect and the quantum idea rather than on relativity)

·        Niels Bohr (Entry 1101, pg. 700 in HC – Entry 902, pg. 612 in PB)

·        George Thomson (Entry 1156, pg. 733 in HC – Entry 949, pg. 641 in PB)

·        Louis De Broglie (Entry 1157, pg. 733 in HC – Entry 950, pg. 642 in PB)

 

[By the way, George Thomson was the son of J.J. Thomson, and both father and son were Nobel Prizewinners.  The father won for discovering that there was a particle called the electron.  The son won for showing experimentally that this same particle often acted like a wave.]

           

  1. What is radioactivity, and what does it do to you? How could the answer to this be found?

·        There is some information about fundamentals of the structure of the nucleus and the fundamentals of nuclear reactions in the article at this link.  Please follow the link and read the article.

 

  1. How do you build an atom bomb, and what happens if you blow it up? How does this differ from a nuclear reactor, and how do you build one of those? Using energy as a measure of what such devices can do, and how this fits into the use of energy as a general concept.

Read the account of early ideas about fission and the chain reaction in the article in Asimov’s Encyclopedia on

·        Leo Szilard (Entry 1208, pg. 761 in HC – Entry 992, pg. 666 in PB)

In Payne Et. Al., read the following:

·        pp. 545 – 551, and  554 - 556

  1. An attempt to build a scientific model of a complicated system. What could be going on inside the sun and inside of other stars? How could anyone ever find out? Using energy methods to eliminate non-nuclear processes as possible sources of the sun's power.

In Payne Et. Al., read the following:

·        PP. 368-369, 371-373, 402-407 

 

 

TEST NUMBER TWO AT THIS POINT (about the week of April 3 -- exact date to be determined)

 

 

  1. How do atoms join together to form crystals, molecules, and chemical compounds?

In Payne Et. Al., read the following:

 

·        On basics of atoms                                           pp. 266 through 270

·        On the Periodic table                                        pp. 271 through 274

·        Ions and the Octet rule                          pp. 275 through 278

·        Molecules and Chemical Equations                   pp. 278 through 281

·        Covalent Bonds                                                pp. 281 through 283

  1. How do various chemical substances react with one another to form different compounds?

In Payne Et. Al. read the following:

 

·        Physical and Chemical Change              pp. 288 through 290

·        Combustion, Oxidation, etc.                              pp. 290 through 294

·        Water and Ions                                     pp. 296 through 298

·        Acids and bases                                               pp. 298 through 299

·        Salts and Neutralization Reactions                     pp. 299 through 300

·        The pH scale                                                    pp. 300 through 301

  1. What is an organic compound; what are some examples; and what are some applications?

In Payne Et. Al. read the following:

 

·        Carbon and Hydrocarbons                               pp. 306 through 310

·        Hydrocarbons with double & triple bonds         pp. 310 through 311

·        Rings of carbon atoms                          pp. 311 through 312

·        Alcohols                                                           pp. 312 through 313

·        Organic Acids                                                  pp. 314 through 315

·        Carbohydrates                                      pp. 317 through 318

·        Amino Acids and Proteins                                 pp. 318 through 319

·        DNA and the genetic code                                pp. 319 through 320

 

  1. Where does our energy come from? What happens when we burn fuels? How much energy do we get, what are the products of such fuel burning, and how do they pollute the atmosphere?

In Payne Et. Al., read the following:

·        PP. 542-545, 551-553, 556-559, 564-576

 

  1. Ozone depletion in the stratosphere and global warming are two issues frequently in the news. What scientific theories, experiments, and/or observations are behind the newspaper stories?

In Payne Et. Al., read the following:

·        PP. 379, 464-468, 488

  

 

TEST NUMBER THREE AT THIS POINT (about the week of May 1-- exact date to be determined)

 

 

  1. The scientific theory of Plate Tectonics claims that the continents drift around the earth at a rate of an inch or so per year (about the rate that fingernails grow). How could anyone know that? What are the consequences? What does it have to do with earthquakes and volcanoes? Would either one of these happen in the Midwest?

·        In Payne Et. Al. , read pp. 435 – 438,  439 – 445, 507 – 510,  and 510 – 513.

  1. Much is known about conditions on the earth long before humans appeared on the planet. What kind of scientific evidence supports such knowledge?

·        In Payne Et. Al. read pp. 516 – 521, 489 – 490, 490 – 499, and see the chart on page 491.

 

FINAL EXAM OVER THE ENTIRE COURSE. (Between May 16 and May 18 as scheduled in the college's final exam schedule.)

 

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