Chapter 1 About Science
Exercises
2. (a) Yes (b) No (c) Yes.
3. What would you measure to prove your hypothesis. For example, measure the weight of soil before the plant grows. When the plant grows then compare the weight of the "used" soil to the weight of the plant. What are other things the plant needs that you can measure?
4. What have you experienced in life? Everything right the first time or learning from mistakes (experiences)?
5. Take electricity or nuclear energy for example. Is knowledge harmful or lack of knowledge?
6. The radius of the sun (7 X 108 m) is 1.75 times larger than the average earth moon distance (4 X 108m).
7. Pole Shadow)/(Pole Height) = (Alexandria-Syene Distance)/(Earth Radius)
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1/8 = 800 km/Earth Radius |
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Earth Radius = 6400 km = 6.4 X 106 m |
Project
1. Tape a coin to your window when the full moon is visible in the sky. Position the coin and yourself so that the coin is directly in your line of sight to the moon. If you're at just the right distance from the coin, actually 110 coin diameters, the coin and the moon appear the same size and the coin barely eclipses the moon. Knowing the average earth-moon distance is 3.84 X 105 km calculate the diameter of the moon using: (Coin Diameter)/(Coin Distance) = (Moon Diameter)/(Moon Distance)
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1/110 = Moon Diameter)/(Moon Distance) |
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1/110 = (Moon Diameter)/(3.84 X 105 km) |
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Moon Diameter = 3.49 X 103 km |
Moon Radius = Moon Diameter/2
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3.49 X 103 km/2 |
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= 1.75 X 103 km = 1.75 X 106 m |