The Ordered Universe
Created by Dr Adele Register
Physical Events
Predictable
Quantifiable
Without the predictability of physical events the scientific method could not proceed.
Stonehenge
A Giant Calendar
Built to Keep Track of Time
Began in 2800 BC, Still Accurate Today
As seen by:
Ptolemy – 2nd century
Copernicus - 16th century
Brahe – late 16th century
Kepler – early 17th century
Galileo – early 17th century
Galileo
“The Father of Experimental Science”
Experimentation
collecting data using instruments and mathematical calculations
Motion
Speed = distance/time
Velocity – speed in a specific direction
Acceleration – rate of change in velocity
Newton’s Laws of Motion
1st Law
a moving object will continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed, and a stationary object will remain at rest, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force
Newton’s Laws of Motion
2nd Law
the acceleration produced on a body by a force is proportional to the magnitude of the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object
Newton’s Laws of Motion
3rd Law
for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
Gravity = our #1 force
“an attractive force between any 2 objects in the universe which is proportional to the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them”
Weight
force of gravity on an object in a particular place can change
vs
Mass
amount of actual matter an object has stays constant
Gravity
“G” – universal constant, applies to any 2 masses in the universe
“g” – gravity on the Earth’s surface only
Question:
If we drop two objects from the same distance above the surface of the Earth, which will fall faster, the heavier object or the lighter object?