Questions on Measurement

1. Explain the differences between (a) Natural Philosophy and Philosophy, and (b)Natural Philosophy and Physics.

2. What are the necessary criteria for making a scientific measurement?

3. What are the required steps in the Scientific Method?

4. Is quantification a requirement in the Scientific Method? If not, describe a case that satisfies the requirements of the Scientific Method, but is not quantifiable.

5. Does quantification strengthen the process of Scientific Method?

6. Describe the difference between a hypothesis, a model, and a theory

7. Explain what is the meaning of the word "length". Measure the length of a standard sheet of paper, using an ordinary ruler. Compare your result with others' in the class. Comment on the comparisons.

8. What is the difference between a theorist, an experimentalist, and a computational physicist?

9. Are there similar categories (as in the above question) within other branches of science?

10. What is a simulation? Use the web to find the url for a physics simulation.

11. Describe the political climate that is described by Born and the thesis of his speech.

12. Consider the measurement of "sound" (as in Tyndall's book). What are the quantifiable variables? How would you measure them?

13. Are aspects of sound that we may not be able to quantify?

14. What is time? How do would you measure it? (Imagine that you are isolated; so you have to devise your own method and your own instruments for this quantification.)