Science 10 – Physics

Activity 1.2

1. What is a cosmic calendar?

A cosmic calendar, based on a book by Carl Sagan, is a method of visualizing the chronology
of the universe since the Big Bang occurred which is about fifteen billion years ago. This
method, or can be referred to as a device, will aid us in understanding the vast expanse of
time as it compressed the history of the cosmos into one cosmic year.

Additionally, in the cosmic calendar, the Big Bang was considered to happen on the 1st of
January and the current time is considered as the last second of the last day of December
which is the 31st.

2. How were they able to date important cosmic events?

According to Carl Sagan, a billion years of Earth age is equivalent to about twenty-four days
in the cosmic year, and a second of that year is equivalent to about 475 real revolutions of
the Earth around the sun.

As stated in the book, the vast expanse of time was condensed into a single cosmic year.
However, certain events were not included which allows us to be able to map the more
relevant and meaningful events of the history of the universe onto the last seconds of the
cosmic year.

The events shown from January to November are the Big Bang, the origin of the Milky Way
Galaxy, the origin of the solar system, the formation of the planet Earth, and the origin of life
or organisms on Earth, respectively. In the month of December, human history began which
includes the origin of the first humans, from apes to men, until the present time.

1. What are the parts of the physical world as explained in this reading?

As explained in this reading, the physical world consists of the following parts:
● human-sized/macroscopic world
● infinitesimal submicroscopic world
● enormous cosmological world

The macroscopic world is consisting of substances and objects that are observable or visible
to our senses and can be measured. Meanwhile, the infinitesimal submicroscopic world is
made up of particles such as atoms, protons, electrons, etc. that are said to be too small to
be seen by an ordinary microscope. Lastly, the cosmological world is composed of heavenly
bodies such as planets, and stars, and other celestial objects or entities that can be found in
the universe.
2. Which parts of the physical world are studied by physics? By chemistry? By geology?

Parts of the physical world that are studied by physics:

● elementary particles
● atomic nucleus
● atoms
● solids, liquids, and gases
● stars, galaxies, galactic clusters and the known part of the universe

Parts of the physical world that are studied by chemistry:

● molecules

Parts of the physical world that are studied by geology:

● composition of the Earth

1. How does experiment complement theory?

According to Kenneth Ford, theories tie facts together into a coherent whole wherein one
fact is being related with another in order to develop an explanation of these facts and also
establish a better understanding of the physical world. Then, there will be a conducting of
experiments in order to scientifically test and support the theories made.

Experimenters that are unable generate ideas can develop useless facts, comparably,
theorists that only have untested ideas can produce impractical theories. This proves that
experiments complement theories as they work side by side.

2. How does scientific knowledge develop?

Scientific knowledge is developed through the process known as the scientific method which
logically and systematically includes the following:
● gathering of facts
● identifying laws tying the facts together
● making a hypothesis
● testing the hypothesis against known or past facts
● predicting new facts and further tests
● formulating a theory
● elaborating and applying the theory