SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDES 1.

Open mindedness l The scientist must keep his mind free from prejudice against individuals and against ideas. 2. Cautious Judgment l The scientist must not jump to conclusions. He must base decisions on reliable information from proved facts. 3. Desire to Learn l Every scientist has a healthy curiosity. He wants to know the WHY of things. 4. Appreciation of orderliness in nature l The scientist believes in cause and effect, He believes that, as for as the physical world is concerned, things happen for a reason. 5. Active concern for Human Welfare l This attitude is a tremendous force behind medical science and many fields of Biology. It is becoming much more prominent in physical science in view of the vast human significance of the atomic age. DIMENSIONS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE 1. Physics l the study of matter and energy, and energy relationships. 2. Chemistry l deals with the structure of matter and the changes matter undergoes 3. Acoustics l The study of sounds and its properties 4. Astronomy l The study of heavenly bodies, their motions, magnitudes, distances and physical constitution

5. Atomic Physics l Concerned with the structure and properties of the atom 6. Cryogenics l The study of the behavior of matter at extremely low temperatures. 7. Electromagnetism / Electrodynamics l The study of electric and magnetic fields and the electric charges that produce these fields 8. Fluid Dynamics l Examines the behavior of liquids and gases in motion 9. Geophysics l The application of physics in the study of the earth. It includes the fields of Hydrology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Seismology and Volcanology 10. Mechanics l The oldest and the most basic branch of physics concerned with the description and causes of the motion of material objects 11. Molecular Physics l Concerned with the properties and structure of the atomic nucleus, nuclear reactions and their applications 12. Optics l The study of light, its properties and its propagation 13. Thermodynamics l The study of heat and the transformation of energy from one form to another

i UNIT

standard for describing the magnitude of a physical quantity i SECOND derived from the complete vibration or cycle of Cesium atom - Time required for 9,192,631,770 cycles of Cesium or Hertz i TRUE NOON - When the sun is at its highest elevation i SOLAR DAY - Period from one true noon to another 11.14.2009 SCIENTIFIC NOTATION MATHEMATICAL SHORTHAND l A mathematical abbreviation where large and small numbers are conveniently expressed l It provides a compact way to write numbers and to show how precisely a number is known Example: 100 000 000 is 107 The small number to the right of the 10 is call the exponent or the power of ten . It represents the number of zeros that follow 10. Rules Governing the use of Scientific Notation 1. The scientific notation can be understood by shifting the decimal point a. A positive exponent indicates a shift in the decimal point to the left; the number of places equal to the exponent b. A negative exponent indicates a shift in decimal point to the right; the number of places equal to the exponent 2. In multiplication, multiply the N s together. Copy the base but add the exponents. 3. In division, divide the N s exponents must be subtracted by copying the base. 4. In addition and subtraction, copy the base and exponent hence necessary to convert or change them to the same power as the other on N is always affected.