Reading Assignment: Tippens Ch. 1 sections 2,3,4 and Ch. 2 sections 1,2,3,4,6,10.

In this lecture we discuss some of the questions that motivate physics, what physics is about, what physical theories are, and how physicists arrive at physical theories (the scientific method). We go on to discuss the most important principles governing the `New Mechanics' that arose in the 17th Century, created by such luminaries as Galileo and Newton -- two names that will be appearing constantly in this course. These principles which govern `Classical Mechanics' are Newton's Three Laws and the Conversation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum.
Newton's Second Law links three of the most important building blocks in phyiscs: force, motion, and matter. These quantities will be what we will be discussing for most of ths course.
Answers to questions about nature have scientific, social, political, and religious consequences. Ideas may have unforeseen consequences and may be misused or seen as dangerous by people with vested interests in other answers. As an example of this we mention the `Copernican Revolution'. This is one of the reasons why it is important for you to develop an awareness of science, so that you have an educated and thoughtful perspective on the way that science and technology is playing a role in your life.
We begin our transition to being able to introduce physical principles and using these principles to understand the motion of objects. This transition amounts to reviewing some math. We discuss the Systeme Internationale (S.I.) system of physical units and converting units from one system to another and begin our math refresher by describing scientific notation or powers of 10 notation.

Link for the Day: UCSB Interactive Astrophysics Arcade

Questions or comments should be addressed to Mike Ritzwoller at ritzwoller@phys-geophys.colorado.edu 

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