hi… my summer assignment for AP Physics is to write a three page paper describing the ‘Principles of Physics’, and to make a video that properly displays them to go along with it… i am having the hardest time finding the principles… everytime i search i get links to college courses or physics sites that do not have what i am looking for. do any of you know what the ‘principles of physics’ are? or can any of you direct me to a site that will give me the information that i need?.. i have also gone to my local library and i was unable to find all the information i need. PLEASE HELP ME!
The SDMB frowns threads where we’d be expected to actually do your homework for you, but I feel confident that you’re not taking the lazy option here, just looking for some pointers.
A good place to start would be google searching the term ‘history of physics’ - this will at the very least give you the names of some of the key characters that contributed to the development of modern physics/science, then you can pick a few names (Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein would seem to be good examples, but by no means the only ones) and research the work and discoveries of these individuals.
Get Quantum Reality: Beyond the New Physics by Nick Herbert. He explains 8 different possible philosophical worldviews you could adopt based on the principles of quantum physics, and backs all 8 up. It’s a couple hundred pages, and is written for the layman. If your project presented these 8 different worldviews, you’d probably get an “A”.
It may not be the exact letter of the assignment, but originality usually counts for something.
I dissagree. While tempting, it’s not always a good idea to go above the head of your teacher. Especially if it would be above the head of yourself as well…
I’d suggest confining the subject to classical physics. Personally I would highlight Galilei, as I deem him to be the most influential physicist. He was the one who finally broke with Aristotle and started observing what was happening, instead of reasoning about what ought to happen.
I really don’t think quantum physics belongs here. In general I think it’s a misstake to start meddling with QM before understanding classical physics. (But then, I might have missunderstood the level of the OP.)
I would say that the ‘Principle of Physics’ is[ul][li]Observe a phenomenon[]Explain what happened[]Using the explanation, predict what will happen Make an experiment which tests the hypothesis[/ul][/li]One might also include some popperesque step about trying to falsify the theory.
“The Principles of Physics” doesn’t sound like “The Scientific Method” to me. I mean, is physics the only area of study in which we use the scientific method?
Bear in mind this is Advanced Placement Physics
Principles of Physics:
Field Theory
Wave/Particle Duality
Relativity
Inertia
Gravity
Thermodynamic Laws
Uncertainty Principle (bonus…has “principle” in its name!)
Laws of Motion
Entropy
There’s a bunch more, but you get the idea quickly that this ballons beyond 3 pages. Go to a bookstore and flip through the book and see what you think. Some of the 8 interpretations:
Copenhagen Interpretation: There is no deep reality
Many-Worlds Theory: Each measurement spawns parallel universe
Neo-Realists: Uncertainty is a result of human inability to measure
Observer-Created Reality: Tree in woods makes no sound
There’s 4 more. Each interpretation lends itself very well to a half page summary…trim it down a bit and bango, you got 3 pages. As a bonus, you can list the famous super-geniuses that subscribe to each theory. (Einstein was a neo-realist, Bohr was a Copenhagenist, et cetera…)
The video will be a pain in the ass no matter what topic you pck.
Chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering, astronomy, cosmology and on and on are all specialised branches of physics. So specialised that we don’t call them physics any more, because the term physics is too broad.
Nevertheless, the scientific method is applied in all physical fields.
The scientific method isn’t applied in non-physical fields. A mathematical proof does not employ the scientific method.
One way to approach this is the ‘scientific method’ side that others have presented. Especially with Desmostylus’ definition of physics, that would be a perfectly valid approach.
That said, I’d be suprised if that’s what the teacher had in mind. ‘Principles of Physics’ is often used to refer to broad themes within physics - Newtonian Forces, Conservation of Energy, Conservation of Momentum, Conservation of Angular Momentum and others that are often beyond the scope of a high school course.
Try checking out a standard physics textbook (you may have one - or any from the local library would suffice). Most books are divided into sections that are these broad categories.
Advanced Placement means the course is a high school course focused around taking the nationwide AP exam at the end of the year. Many colleges accept AP courses for credit.
The student may or may not have been exposed to physics before. That depends on the policy of the high school, really.
I think this student has an assignment to complete the summer before the class starts. Think of this as a freshman college physics course.
I would follow Kakofonous’ advice and get ahold of a physics text. I’m sure you could find one in a used bookstore somewhere.
As far as the video, film the trajectory of a baseball/basketball/tennis ball/rock/shoe and explain what’s happening? Roll a skateboard down a hill? Film a car going over a bump and explain the bouncing (works well if the car has bad struts/shocks)? Physics is everywhere. Just take a look at the text book and then take a good look around you.
I think Kakofonous has hit it on the head. Since this IS a high school course, I doubt they’re looking for advanced particle theory.
Unfortunately, I don’t know that there is a definitive list of the “principles of physics”. I have a BS in Physics, and even though it’s been a while, you’d think I would have some recollection of it if it were a standard thing. Can you contact the teacher about it?
Explain Aristotle’s idea of movement and how it shaped ~1500 years of natural science
Describe the evolution of ballistics through the middle ages and how it broke with Aristotle
Describe Galileo and his experimental method
Newton, growth of statics and dynamics from Galileo and the idea of universal physical laws (i.e. what happens here, happens the same way everywhere). Hit on light as a wave/particle
Describe Einstein’s photoelectric effect and his use of thought experiments (shades of Aristotle) to reach special relativity.
Maybe that’s more of an overview of western science but there you go.
thank you all so much! i really appreciate it… cheesesteak–i can contact my teacher, what is it i should ask him? i dont know what you had in mind… this is going to be my second year taking a physics class, last year i was in honors physics and now AP… i still have my text book, and we use the same one. i took a quick look, i guess i will have to take another one. i got a list of principles from an encyclopedia at the library… the “basic ideas of physics” are: particles, space and time, laws of motion and evolution, laws of conservation and symmetry, fields, statistical averages, and quantization… i think that this is a really good list, but i want to have as many sources as possible so i am more sure of my work. if anyone else has any more information, i appreciate it so much ! thank you.
<3 nina.
neencarpeen, are you taking physics B or C? Neither one covers relativity or quantum, but there is still a difference in how advanced the principles discussed are.
I would just try and find out what he means by “principles of physics” That isn’t, to my knowledge, a standard term that means X, Y and Z. Is he talking about the laws of motion, conservation, is he interested in electrical theory or optical theory at all? There are a great many things that are studied under physics, and from your OP, it seemed that you weren’t sure what topics you needed to cover in your paper.
! thank you.