...In the 4-3 Lab, my group and I tossed a ball over a motion detector and recorded the measurements at five different points of the ball’s travel. Point A was at the beginning of its travel, right after it was thrown. Point B was about halfway up after the throw. Point C was at the highest point of the ball’s toss. Point D was at about the same height as point B, but was on the way down from Point C. Point E was right before I caught the ball at about the same height as point A, but on the way down from Point C. After calculating the three types of energy, Kinetic Energy, Gravitational Potential Energy, and Total Energy, for each point we noticed a few trends regarding the change in energy and the velocity the ball had during the toss. The first trend we noticed was that as ball’s velocity increases, GPE decreases and KE increases, and as velocity decreases, GPE increases and KE decreases. This trend happens because KE is the energy of motion and objects slow down as they elevate and GPE is gained or lost by the increase or decrease in height, which leads to the next trend that we noticed. The second trend is that as the ball’s height increased GPE increased and KE decreased, and as the ball’s height decreased the GPE decreased and the KE increased. The total energy is just the addition of the KE and the GPE. The trends pointed out above can be referenced at the two tables above. In Figure 1, there are three different bars at each point. The blue bar represents GPE, the red bar...
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...Physics Essay January 20, 2010 Experiment vs. Observation -Experiment: an operation or procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law -Observation: an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence often involving measurement with instruments -Measurments: Needs units, cm, inches, degrees etc. Reasons for different units of measurements are 1) practical application and 2) cultural differences ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Experiment 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Height=X Height=X In an ideal experiment: The ball rolls to the other side to the exact same height from which it was dropped from. In a real experiment: Forces of friction and gravity act on the ball so it rolls just short of the same height. In an ideal experiment: Ball rolls infinitely In a real experiment: Once again, forces of gravity and friction act on the ball to slow it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Experiment 2 Cup has 0 net force. No gravity, No friction. An object with 0 net force will keep moving forever. Newton’s...
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...Pure Logic vs. Scientific Logic “Reasoning is an art, and reasoning about the natural world is the art that lies at the base of science” (Castel and Sismondo 55). Pure logic is “a form of reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity” (Oxford Dictionaries). In contrast, scientific logic is a form of reasoning in which a logical thought process is used to conduct experiments and research in order to reach a valid conclusion. Altogether, pure and scientific logic are different forms of reasoning used to solve everyday problems in life; yet, it is ‘scientific logic’ that is more prevalent in solving everyday problems, including critical interpretations of major problems on earth. Scientific logic is the best choice to cope with life problems in the midst of global issues; it helps facilitate our logical expertise in daily matters; it is both predictable and reliable; and on a greater scale, scientific logic helps us deal with the widespread problems on earth. With the growth of science and new emerging technologies, life is becoming more complicated, therefore relying purely on logic is insufficient. “Most of the time very little follows logically from what we know, and when we think that it does we learn that most of our knowledge consists of generalizations that don’t hold 100 percent of the time” (Castel and Sismondo 71). People live in a world of probability and because “scientific reasoning develops over time,” (Castel and Sismondo 74) they...
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... GE 253 Physics Albert Einstein’s Contribution to Quantum Mechanics Albert Einstein was one of the greatest minds in world history. Einstein is known as a brilliant physicist who contributed more to the scientific world than any other person. His theories on relativity paved the way for how science currently views time, space, energy, and gravity. Einstein was so advanced in his thinking that his studies and work set the standards for the control of scientific energy and space explorations currently being studied in the field of astrophysics. Albert Einstein's most noted contribution to the world is his theory of relativity. By 1902, Einstein was working on combining time and space, matter and energy. In 1905 when he was only 26 years old, he published a paper on relativity. This paper showed mathematically that the speed of light is constant and not relative to its source or to the viewer. Einstein had actually written an essay when he was only 16 years old on relativity, which became the basis for his published paper. The greatest result of relativistic physics was Einstein's famous relation, E=mc2. In this, he was able to prove that any increase in the energy, E, of a body must lead to a corresponding increase in its mass, m, these increases being related by a factor c2 , where c represents the velocity of light squared. In conclusion, Albert Einstein ranks as one of the greatest people for his contributions towards physics and his part...
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...Is Science the only sure path to Truth? Physics is “the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms” (Oxford Dictionaries). Till the first half of the eighteenth century, physics was a branch of natural philosophy. It “became widely used in its modern sense (i.e., excluding the life sciences, geology, and chemistry) during the second half of the eighteenth century” (Olson, 2002, p. 301). Olson (2002) explains how physics is divided into two main categories. He states that topics treated before the middle of the last decade of the nineteenth century are said to be parts of classical physics. On the other hand a group of topics that emerged after about 1895 is said to make up modern physics. Since physics is a broad area, in this essay, I specifically focus on one topic from modern physics, namely quantum physics. I will evaluate whether quantum physics can lead us to ‘Truth’. In this paper, ‘Truth’ refers to quantum events. First, I will portray how quantum events are filled with uncertainties; I will then list three answers given by physicists to explain why uncertainties are present. I will then move on to show how quantum physics offers conceptual parallels to ideas in religion. I will mainly discuss the role of holism character in quantum systems. Finally I will evaluate whether god is the reason...
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...Final Paper Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton were both very influential figures concerning science. They both discovered ground breaking things in the physics world. Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity. This is one of the biggest parts of physics alongside with quantum mechanics. Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician who are commonly referred to as one of the most influential scientists of all time as well as a key figure in the scientific revolution. Newton formulated the laws of motion and the universal gravitation that dominated scientists’ view of the physical universe for over the next three centuries. He also has demonstrated that the motion of objects on the Earth and that the celestial bodies could be described by the same principles. When he was deriving Kepler’s laws of planetary motion from his mathematical description of gravity, Newton removed any of the people’s last doubts about the validity of the model of the cosmos that was heliocentric. Near the start of Albert Einstein’s career he was beginning to think that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. While he was doing this it led him to his special theory of relativity. Thus he realized that the principle of relativity could also be extended to the gravitational fields, and this sparked his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916...
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...Raygene Choi HIST125 13 October 2013 Essay 1 Topic 3 My first candidate to be nominated as one of the three greatest scientists in history would be Nicklaus Kopernig. Copernicus, as he would be remembered by, ranks among the greatest of scientists for his work in astronomy. His theories that the earth was not the center of the universe was an immense blow to the theological belief that the earth was not the "focus of God's purpose" (Burke p.135). His work attacked a long held theological "fact" and undermined the religious stranglehold that the church had over the masses. Although he was hired by the church to solve their calendar issues, Copernicus's discovery led to a paradigm shift on how the universe operated. This understanding of how the universe operated led to a slow decline of church authority, especially in the hindrance of science. His theories would also provide the ground work for future scientists such as Galileo; Galileo's work "explained the problem Copernicus had not been able to crack: why falling objects fall to the ground to the west of their starting-point on a turning earth" (Burke p.145). Without Copernicus's groundbreaking theory, Galileo would not have had the foundation to complete his research. In fact, I would dare say that Copernicus work in astronomy is the foundation for anything in the realm of physics. My second candidate would have to be Isaac Newton. Newton's theory of universal gravity "destroyed the medieval picture of the world as...
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...Critical Thinking Essay 1: Methodology This essay shall examine physical determinism and its most famous proponent Sir Isaac Newton. The basic framework of the theory states that due to natural laws of the universe that everything obeys, there can be no such thing as freedom. Sir Isaac Newton is incorrect in his theory, physical determinism does not indicate whether or not freedom is possible in our reality. Like many other scientists, Sir Isaac Newton believed in the concept of universal causation. Universal causation means simply that there is a cause for everything that occurs in the universe, and that one event leads to another event. In Ethics: Theory and Practice by Jacques P. Thiroux and Keith W. Krasemann, they point out that most scientists believe in this for one main reason. In their search for reasoning and acuity for predictions freedom is physically not possible. Thiroux and Krasemann tell us Sir Isaac Newton was a firm believer that, “…our entire realm of nature and the universe is governed by natural laws…” (4). Many of the laws that he speaks of are the ones that he discovered himself, such as his famous three laws and the law of gravity. Sir Newton reasoned that, because humans are also physical beings, they controlled by these laws. There are some issues that arise from this theory however. Thiroux and Krasemann go on to point out that if all of these laws are completely true then there is no true freedom for anyone.(4) If there is truly no...
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...Majoring in the field of Sociology, reminds me of some similarities it has in relation to cosmogony. They share in common information of our world without quantifiable science such as physics and perhaps political science. Cosmogony, studies a series of models which include the origin of the evolution of the universe. In this essay, I will highlight three cosmogonic narratives titled, Eli Obe, of the Yoruba culture, Facing Mt. Kenya Tribal Origin and Kinship System (Gikuyu) and Sundiata - An Epic of Old Mali. All three narratives present food for thought as to the stories or theories of the development of our world. The first narrative titled Eji Obe, depicts the creation of the universe through the all mighty Olodumare. Olodumare sends his...
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...Michael Conyngham Dr. Ling Honors Physics Period 3 1 November 2015 Sir Arthur Eddington Sir Arthur Eddington, a brilliant physicist, renowned for his impact on astrophysics, obtained many accomplishments throughout his career and lifetime. From various books written to several substantial discoveries and theories, this man from Kendall, England managed to take a unique approach at the astronomical world in which he will always be remembered for. On December 28, 1882, Arthur Stanley Eddington was born in Kendall, Westmorland, England by his two parents Arthur Henry Eddington and Sarah Anne Shout. Since him and his father shared a first name, Eddington’s family called him Stanley. His father, Arthur Henry Eddington died when Arthur Stanley was just 2 years old. He died due to an epidemic that was making its way around England call Typhoid. Since her husband had died, it was now her responsibility to raise Arthur and his older sister as a single mother. After he had died, Sarah Anne Shout picked up everything and moved her family and her Quaker beliefs to a town called Weston-super-Mare to reunited and live with her mother in law....
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...Q) Discuss the revolution in Cosmology from Copernicus to Newton. In your essay, address the steps resulting in the breakdown of long held beliefs from Aristotle’s days, and Ptolemaic theories. * Prior to Aristotle. There were several other models of the universe, with the Phytogrean universe the most popular. In this model there existed a central fire in the middle of the universe, from which all light descended. * In Aristotle’s model of the universe the world outside the Earth existed, finitely, with nothing ever moving. With the universe in the same position as it ever was. This model of the universe was widely accepted and considered to be a scientific fact for many generations to come. According to Aristotle the universe was filled with a substance called aether to compensate for its dynamic nature. * One of the most important reason for the wide acceptance of Aristotle’s model of the universe was that it correlated with religious views of the time. * Aristotle’s model was further adopted by Ptolemy, to create Ptolemaic view of the universe. This led to the birth of the Aristotle-Ptolemy universe. In this model the Earth was the centre of the universe with the universe revolving around it. * The view persisted for more than and allowed the astronomers to predict the movement of the galaxy and the stars around the Earth. Star charts were developed first in this era. By the sixteenth century this view was intertwined into all of the world’s cutltures. * In the sixteenth...
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...-The Great Physicians Introduction This essay seeks to compare the discoveries, ideas and contribution by the great physicians Albert Einstein and Nicolaus Copernicus. Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist who is regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and the “greatest physicist ever.” He is regarded as the father of modern physics, who created many theories on gravity,light,energy and matter which were interconnected. Nicolaus Copernicus is known as one of the “founding fathers of cosmology.” He changed the way of thinking not only astronomically but also religiously. Contribution and Theories Albert Einstein and Nicolaus Copernicus made a large contribution to the astronomical history which made a huge impact as...
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...Philippa, and adopted brother Edward. Hawking attended the University of Oxford for Physics from 1959 to 1962, and also attended Cambridge University for cosmology from 1962 to 1965. While attending the University of Oxford, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). When diagnosed, Hawking realized that there was a lot that he was meant to do with his life, even though he was only given two years to live. So, he began to work hard on his studies, went for his PhD in cosmology, which he earned after lots of hard work (“Stephen Hawking”). After gaining his first class honors degree in natural science and his PhD in cosmology, Hawking decided to stay at Cambridge University. First, Hawking was a research fellow until 1969 when he left Cambridge and was a Fellow for Distinction in Science at Gonville and Caius college. While working here, Hawking received The Adams Award for an essay he wrote. Then, later in the 1970’s, Hawking published his first book for academics called The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time with a friend of his. Then, in 1974, Hawking was awarded a place in the Royal Society. From 1979 to 2009, he held the place of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, and is currently still working there as the Dennis Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong-Avery Director of Research in Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) area. During his career, Hawking has written over twelve books, and earned...
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...Hawking contra Philosophy Christopher Norris presents a case for the defence. Stephen Hawking recently fluttered the academic dovecotes by writing in his new book The Grand Design – and repeating to an eager company of interviewers and journalists – that philosophy as practised nowadays is a waste of time and philosophers a waste of space. More precisely, he wrote that philosophy is ‘dead’ since it hasn’t kept up with the latest developments in science, especially theoretical physics. In earlier times – Hawking conceded – philosophers not only tried to keep up but sometimes made significant scientific contributions of their own. However they were now, in so far as they had any influence at all, just an obstacle to progress through their endless going-on about the same old issues of truth, knowledge, the problem of induction, and so forth. Had philosophers just paid a bit more attention to the scientific literature they would have gathered that these were no longer live issues for anyone remotely au fait with the latest thinking. Then their options would be either to shut up shop and cease the charade called ‘philosophy of science’ or else to carry on and invite further ridicule for their head-in-the-sand attitude. Predictably enough the journalists went off to find themselves media-friendly philosophers – not hard to do nowadays – who would argue the contrary case in a suitably vigorous way. On the whole the responses, or those that I came across, seemed overly anxious to strike...
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...and see the universe like we do today. However, with the collaboration of many great scientists and astronomers we have established a more concrete understanding on our universe. It is still hard today to understand the complexity of our universe because to many see it as irrelevant or to foreign to their knowledge. However, our universe should not be overlooked; it is the beginning to life and all that exists. The most popular theory in the beginning to the universe is the Big Bang Theory. A tiny spec infinitely expanding into what we have today and it will continue to expand and cool. A theory that came to be known after the Hubble law came into the astronomy field; an idea that says the universe was and continues to expand. In this essay I will be touching upon the Hubble Law, the Big Bang Theory, and the edge and center of our universe and how it may be shaped also a look into the fate of our universe. In 1925, an American astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated that there was more to our universe than just our Milky Way galaxy and the stars around us. He stated that in fact there were many separate islands of stars perhaps millions that were huge distances away from us. Then in 1929, Edwin Hubble announced a discovery that was ground breaking. Hubble started to notice that the light coming from galaxies was shifted a little towards the red end of the spectrum due to the Doppler effect (known as “redshift”), which indicated that the galaxies were moving away from us. Hubble...
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