1.1 Physics: An Introduction

Question 1

Physics is the science concerned with describing the interactions of _____, _____, _____, and ____, and it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanisms underlie every phenomenon.

Answer 1

energy, matter, space, and time

Question 2

A ____ is a representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to display directly.

Answer 2

model

Question 3

A _____ is an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers.

Answer 3

theory

Question 4

_____: a description, using concise language or a mathematical formula, a generalized pattern in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and repeated experiments

Answer 4

law

Question 5

Often, a law can be expressed in the form of a single ________ _________.

Answer 5

mathematical equation

Question 6

How are laws and theories similar?

Answer 6

1. both scientific statements that result from a tested hypothesis
2. both supported by scientific evidence

Question 7

Difference between law and theory?

Answer 7

The biggest difference between a law and a theory is that a theory is much more complex and dynamic. A law describes a single action, whereas a theory explains an entire group of related phenomena. And, whereas a law is a postulate that forms the foundation of the scientific method, a theory is the end result of that process.

Question 8

Give some examples of laws and theories?

Answer 8

Newton’s second law of motion

Theory of evolution

Theory of relativity

Question 9

a method that typically begins with an observation and question that the scientist will research; next, the scientist typically performs some research about the topic and then devises a hypothesis; then, the scientist will test the hypothesis by performing an experiment; finally, the scientist analyzes the results of the experiment and draws a conclusion

Answer 9

scientific method

Question 10

The word physicscomes from Greek, meaning ____

Answer 10

nature

Question 11

physics that was developed from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century

Answer 11

classical physics

Question 12

the study of relativity, quantum mechanics, or both

Answer 12

modern physics

Question 13

For the laws of classical physics to apply, what criteria must be met?: Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light, the objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope, and only weak gravitational fields (such as the field generated by the Earth) can be involved.

Answer 13

1. Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light,
2. the objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope,
3. only weak gravitational fields (such as the field generated by the Earth) can be involved.

Question 14

_____: the study of objects moving at speeds greater than about 1% of the speed of light, or of objects being affected by a strong gravitational field

Answer 14

Relativity

Question 15

_____: the study of objects smaller than can be seen with a microscope

Answer 15

quantum mechanics

Question 16

The combination of relativity theory and quantum mechanics theory is _____ _____ _____ and it describes the behavior of small objects traveling at high speeds or experiencing a strong gravitational field.

Answer 16

relativistic quantum mechanics

Question 17

A friend tells you he has learned about a new law of nature. What can you know about the information even before your friend describes the law? How would the information be different if your friend told you he had learned about a scientific theory rather than a law?

Answer 17

it will be a concise description of the universe around us; a statement of the underlying rules that all natural processes follow. If the information had been a theory, you would be able to infer that the information will be a large-scale, broadly applicable generalization.

Question 18

Models are particularly useful in _____ and ____ ____, where conditions are outside those normally encountered by humans.

Answer 18

relativity and quantum mechanics

Question 19

How does a model differ from a theory?