Physics 101: Chapter 1- The Scientific Method HW 1
A) A scientist who lies in a scientific publication will suffer professional excommunication.
In daily life, we see many cases of people who are caught misrepresenting things and who soon thereafter are excused and accepted by their contemporaries. How is this different in science? A) A scientist who lies in a scientific publication will suffer professional excommunication. B) A scientist who makes a mistake is never allowed to be a scientist again. C) A scientist who disagrees with current theory is never allowed to be a scientist again. D) A scientist who proposes a hypothesis that is eventually disproven is never allowed to be a scientist again.
Testable by Science
-People born under the sign of Sagittarius are twice as likely to be teachers as anyone else. -Mars once had liquid water on its surface. -Earth orbits the Sun every 365.25 days. -Bacteria acquire resistance to antibiotics through changes in their DNA. -There will be a solar eclipse next Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Both geocentric and heliocentric
-Planets move in circular orbits and with uniform motion. -Epicycles and deferents help explain planetary motion. -The brightness of a planet increases when the planet is closest to Earth.
Geocentric
-This model is Earth-centered. -Retrograde motion is explained by epicycles.
Heliocentric
-This model is Sun-centered. -Retrograde motion is explained by the orbital speeds of planets.
Not testable by science
-Vince Young is the greatest quarterback of all time. -Hurricane Katrina was an act of God.
A) The Moon's diameter is 1/110 the distance between Earth and the Moon.
How does the Moon's diameter compare with the distance between Earth and the Moon? A) The Moon's diameter is 1/110 the distance between Earth and the Moon. B) The Moon's diameter is 1/2.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. C)The Moon's diameter is 1/3.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. D) The Moon's diameter is equal to the distance between Earth and the Moon.
D) The Earth is a sphere
When the Sun was directly overhead in Syene, why wasn't it directly overhead in Alexandria? A)The Sun is a sphere. B) Gravity bends light. C) Syene is in a different time zone than Alexandria. D) The Earth is a sphere.
D) When a scientist finds evidence that contradicts a law, then the law must be abandoned.
In daily life, people are often praised for maintaining some particular point of view, for the "courage of their convictions." A change of mind is seen as a sign of weakness. How is this different in science? A) Once a scientific law is discovered, it never changes, so you must change your mind to believe it. B) When a famous scientist restates a law, then the old law must be abandoned. C) Scientific laws are decided to be true by majority vote. D) When a scientist finds evidence that contradicts a law, then the law must be abandoned.
A) Hypothesis, predictions, and experimental findings.
What are steps of the scientific method. A) Hypothesis, predictions, and experimental findings. B) Assembling and organizing facts and checking them against dogma. C) Reasoning and derivation from axioms. D) Using Occam's razor to eliminate excess facts.
A) These are pinhole images of the Sun.
What are the circular spots of light seen on the ground beneath a tree on a sunny day? A) These are pinhole images of the Sun. B) These are images of holes formed by gaps between leaves. C) These are blurry images of the point of light that is the Sun. D) These are images of holes in leaves.
B) A hypothesis is scientific if it is possible to prove it wrong.
What is the test for whether a hypothesis is scientific or not? A) A hypothesis is scientific if it can be written as an equation. B) A hypothesis is scientific if it is possible to prove it wrong. C) A hypothesis is scientific if the appropriate scientific body says it is. D) A hypothesis is scientific if it is possible to prove it right.
A) Because all other sciences can be shown to be derived from it.
Why is physics considered to be the basic science? A) Because all other sciences can be shown to be derived from it. B) Physics is about how atoms combine to form molecules. C) As physicist Paul Tipler says about sciences other than physics, "What other sciences?" D) Physics involves matter that is alive.
