SECTION 1.

4 Units of Measurement 15

A CLOSER LOOK
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD the opportunity to discuss the doubts, conflicts, clashes of personali-
ties, and revolutions of perception that have led to our present scien-
Although two scientists rarely approach the same prob- tific ideas. You need to be aware that just because we can spell out the
lem in exactly the same way, they use guidelines for results of science so concisely and neatly in textbooks does not mean
the practice of science known as the scientific scientific progress is smooth, certain, and predictable. Some of the
method. As 씰 FIGURE 1.16 shows, we begin by ideas we present in this text took centuries to develop and involved
collecting information, or data, by observation many scientists. We gain our view of the natural world by standing
and experiment. The ultimate goal, however, is not collecting on the shoulders of the scientists who came before us. Take advantage
data but rather finding a pattern or sense of order in our observa- of this view. As you study, exercise your imagination. Don’t be afraid
tions and understanding the origin of this order. to ask daring questions when they occur to you. You may be fasci-
As we gather more data, we may see patterns that lead us to a nated by what you discover!
tentative explanation, or hypothesis, that guides us in planning fur-
RELATED EXERCISE: 1.58
ther experiments. A key feature of a good hypothesis is that it pro-
poses a mechanism that underlies our observations and can be used
to make predictions about new experiments. If a hypothesis is suffi-
ciently general and repeatedly effective in predicting results of future Collect information
by observation and
experiments, it is called a theory. A theory is an explanation of the experiment
general causes of certain phenomena, with considerable evidence or
facts to support it. For example, Einstein’s theory of relativity was a
revolutionary way of thinking about space and time. It was more
Find repeatable
than just a hypothesis because it could be used to make predictions Develop
patterns and
that could be tested experimentally. The results of these experiments theory
trends
were generally in agreement with Einstein’s predictions and were not
explainable by earlier theories.
In spite of the landmark achievements of Einstein’s theory, Formulate and test
scientists can never say the theory is “proven.” A theory that has hypotheses to explain
excellent predictive power today may not work as well in the future as patterns and trends
more data and improved scientific equipment are developed. Thus,
science is always a work in progress.
Eventually, we may be able to tie together a great number of ob- 쑿 FIGURE 1.16 The scientific method. This general approach to
servations in a scientific law, which is a concise verbal statement or solving problems involves making observations, confirming that they
mathematical equation that summarizes a broad variety of observa- are reproducible, seeking patterns in the observations, formulating
hypotheses to explain the observations, and testing these hypotheses
tions and experiences. We tend to think of scientific laws as the basic
by further experiments. Hypotheses that withstand such tests and
rules under which nature operates. However, it is not so much that prove themselves useful in explaining and predicting behavior become
matter obeys these laws, but rather that these laws describe the be- known as theories.
havior of matter. As we proceed through this text, we will rarely have

SI Units
In 1960 an international agreement was reached specifying a particular choice of metric
units for use in scientific measurements. These preferred units are called SI units, after
the French Système International d’Unités. This system has seven base units from which
all other units are derived (쑼 TABLE 1.4). In this chapter we will consider the base units
for length, mass, and temperature.

TABLE 1.4 • SI Base Units

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Abbreviation

Mass Kilogram kg
Length Meter m
Time Second s or sec
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance Mole mol
Electric current Ampere A or amp
Luminous intensity Candela cd