FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS Chapter 1

The Scientific Method

Observation- the act of attentive watching, perceiving, or noticing by using all senses Hypothesis- educated guess of what will happen in a situation that can be tested.

Solving Everyday Problems Consider a time when you solved a problem in your life. What was the problem? Explain how you went about solving the problem. Performing Experiment Hypothesis Problem

Scientific method- procedure for processing and understanding certain types of information

Independent Variable- one thing that the scientist changes in an experiment Dependent Variable- one or more things that change in a science experiment that depend on the independent variable Constant- everything except the independent variable that must remain the same

Experimenting with Plants

Theory- a set of tested hypotheses that gives an overall explanation of some part of nature- CAN BE REVISED! Observation- something that is witnessed and can be recorded Natural Law- summary of observed (measurable) behavior A law tells what happens; a theory (model) is our attempt to explain why it happens.

Significant Figures RULES OF MEASUREMENT, ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION, AND MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION

Significant Figure Videos Significant Figures 1.1 – Significant Figures Significant Figures 1.1 Significant Figures 1.2 – Significant Figures Significant Figures 1.2 Significant Figures 1.3 – Significant Figures and Zeros Significant Figures 1.3 Significant Figures 1.4 – Significant Zero Practice Problems Significant Figures 1.4 Significant Figures 1.5 – Multiplying and Dividing Significant Figures 1.5 Significant Figures 1.6 – Adding and Subtracting Significant Figures 1.6

Precision and Accuracy Precision- how exact you are in measurement  Examples: 1.2 is less precise than is more precise than is more precise than Accuracy- how closely your measurement are to the correct value

Measurement Always measure to the “guessed spot”

Which Numbers are Significant? 12  2 Significant Digits 12.0  3 Significant Digits  4 Significant Digits 1200  2 Significant Digits  2 Significant Digits The numbers in RED are simply PLACE HOLDERS! They do not count as significant digits.

Adding and Subtracting Using Significant Digits When adding or subtracting the numbers after the decimal point are most important Always end up with an answer that includes the least amount of numbers after the decimal point  Example: m m= m L L= L km km= km

Multiplying and Dividing Using Significant Digits When multiplying or dividing all numbers are most important Always end up with the least amount of total numbers in your answer  Examples: 14.5 m x 2 m= 30 m 2 (the zero is not significant but is just a place holder) 15.6 g/ 7.2 L=2.2 g/L

SI units International System of Units (AKA Metric System)  Based on Powers of 10: Easy to convert  Base Units:  Kilogram=Mass  Liter= Liquid Volume  Meter= Length  Newton= Force  Joule= Energy or Work

Prefixes kilo- hecta Deka deci centi milli- Pneumonic Device: kids hate Doing math during class minutes (BASE)

Measure the length of your partners hand using a ruler. Go from the bottom of the palm to the tip of the middle finger. Remember:  Always measure to the guessed spot for precision  Measure accurately  Use the metric system

Measuring Water Always read at eye level Always read to bottom of the meniscus

Scientific Notation Move the decimal to the left or to the right so that it is placed between the first two numbers that are not zero The number of places that the decimal moves will become the exponent All numbers in scientific notation will have “x10” to a power at the end

Scientific Notation Converting numbers from real to scientific notation:  If the number is more than one the exponent will be positive  If the number is less than one the exponent will be negative Converting numbers from scientific notation to real:  If the exponent is negative the real number will be less than one  If the exponent is positive the real number will be more than one

Examples: x = x 10 6 = ,760= x = x 10 6 How would you do ? = ____________________

Adding or Subtracting Numbers in Scientific Notation Adding and Subtracting Numbers in Scientific Notation Adding and Subtracting Numbers in Scientific Notation

Multiplying or Dividing Numbers in Scientific Notation Multiplying and Dividing Numbers in Scientific Notation Multiplying and Dividing Numbers in Scientific Notation