PHYS114 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Christiaan Huygens, Pendulum Clock, Richard Feynman

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYS114
• Professor: Dr. A. Meldrum

Document Summary

Study of all nature at its most fundamental levels. Seeks to understand everything we observe, from subatomic world right up to structure of cosmos. Two faces of physics focus on one or the other. Experiment observations, natural patterns, data: needs a lab. Theory testable framework of ideas that explain observations or experiments. E(cid:454). (cid:862)co(cid:374)spira(cid:272)(cid:455) theories(cid:863: u(cid:374)ph(cid:455)si(cid:272)al to propose idea a(cid:374)d ask others to (cid:862)dispro(cid:448)e(cid:863) it. Theories that (cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:374)ot (cid:271)e dispro(cid:448)ed does(cid:374)"t (cid:374)e(cid:272)essaril(cid:455) (cid:373)ea(cid:374) that are true. Scale: units should be based on fundamental, unchanging physical quantity for it to remain constant. Everything involves time, distance, or mass: unchanging, universal, convenient. Base units: second, meter, kilogram, ampere, kelvin, mole, candela: derived units: everything else. Joule, watt, coulomb, ohm, newton, pascal, volt, tesla, sievert, farad, etc. Time: question posted by richard feynman one of famous physicists of 20th century. Tried the sunset but it depends on the year so faulty. Bumping of sand molecules in glass: may clog.