Physical Science Concepts

PHYSICAL SCIENCE CONCEPTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE CONCEPTS SECOND EDITION Grant W. Mason Dana T. Griffen John J. Merrill James M. Thorne Editorial Assistance: Madlyn Tanner Illustrations: Rachel Adams, Jeff Michelsen, Lorraine Mullen Cover Design: Dave Eliason Cover Photograph: Brian Kelly Color Plates: Jeff Hester and Paul Scowen, Arizona State University, using the wide field and planetary camera 2 on board NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on April 1, 1995 Layout Design: Bjorn Pendleton Figures Redesign: Joel Pullan, David Babcock, David Bentley, Bjorn Pendleton Copyright 1997 by the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Brigham Young University All rights reserved. Published by Grant W. Mason Printed in the United States of America Brigham Young University Press ISBN 0-9611938-10-6 Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii Preface to the Second Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv 1. Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Authority Intuition Reason Sensory Data Self-Evident Truths Historical Perspectives: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton Study Guide: Fundamental Principles, Glossary, Exercises 2. Science and the Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 The World Around Us Nuclear Matter Atoms Molecules and Crystals Complexes of Molecules The Earth The Solar System The Milky Way Galaxy and Beyond Summary Historical Perspectives: T