Appendix A.
Suggestions for Study
As you study, it will help you to know that the
course deals with only four kinds of important ideas:
concepts, fundamental principles, models, and applica-
tions. Each of these requires different performance on
your part, and therefore a different kind of study.
Concepts are the fundamental ideas and quantities
we use to describe nature when we communicate with
one another. In simplest terms, they are words whose
meaning we need to know and agree upon if we are to
communicate. Some are terms, such as acceleration,
mass, and energy, which are used generally but which
have a specific scientific meaning. You will need to
understand our intended meaning when we use each
term. Other terms, such as entropy, isomer, and half-
life, will probably be new to you. In either case, your
learning task is the same; you should be able to define
each concept and explain its meaning. You can memo-
rize a definition but, in addition, you should be able to
illustrate its meaning by describing examples of its cor-
rect application. Finally, you should be able to distin-
guish between correct and incorrect definitions and
examples of each concept.
Fundamental Principles are the basic laws and
rules which govern change in the universe. Examples
are Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the Law of
Increasing Disorder, and the Universal Law of
Gravitation. Fundamental principles are the most
important ideas in the course and should receive careful
attention. When you have adequately studied a funda-
mental principle, you should be able to do the following:
(1) State the fundamental principle and explain its
meaning. This is a memory task similar to that
associated with your study of concepts.
(2) Describe some experimental evidence for
believing the fundamental principle to be
valid. The first task here is to cite phenomena
or experiments which indicate the validity of
the rule. This is a memory task. In addition,
you should be able to understand and explain
the relationship of the evidence to the rule.
This requires more than memory, and you will
have to struggle and practice a bit before you
acquire the necessary skill. Basically, you are
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asked to answer the question, “Why do we
believe this particular principle to be valid?”
(3) Describe some examples of the operation of
the fundamental principle and show how the
rule predicts the changes which occur. This is
the same as (2) in many ways. However, we
wish to draw attention to the fact that the
changes which occur in the physical world
around us are in harmony with the principles
we will study. You should look for examples
of this harmony as you think about the world in
which you live.
Models represent mental pictures of nature which
have been useful and successful in explaining and/or
predicting the phenomena of nature. Examples we will
study include the Molecular Model of Matter, the
Nebular Model of the Formation Solar System, and the
Theory (Model) of Plate Tectonics. Models are as
important as fundamental principles in our understand-
ing of nature, since we always have some model in
mind whenever we use a principle to explain a particu-
lar event. As you study the models described in the
course, you should make sure that you can do the fol-
lowing:
(1) Describe and explain the model. This is a
memory task similar to that associated with
your study of concepts.
(2) Relate each model to both simpler and more
complex models. For example, if you were
studying the Wave Model of the Atom, you
would want to describe what atoms are made of
(the simpler units of the model) and you would
describe the more complex structures (mole-
cules and crystals) which are made of atoms. In
each case, you should also be able to describe
how the components are held together.
(3) Describe some experimental evidence for
believing the model to be a valid description of
nature. This involves the mental processes as
described for rules.
 (4) Describe components of the universe which We add the following as a practical suggestion for
you encounter in terms of models in varying study in a formal course in science in which there are
degrees of complexity. For example, what is a reading assignments, lectures, and examinations.
particular object made of and how are the com- Science, by its nature, is hierarchical in structure. One
ponents held together? What are the compo- thing builds on top of another. It is fair to say that with
nents made of? What are these made of? You the possible exception of the final chapter, every chap-
should be able to continue this process down to ter of this text contains information that is laying the
the smallest constituents presently known. foundation for something that follows. We study waves
to understand light, light to understand atoms, atoms to
(5) Describe some examples of the operation of understand molecules, molecules to understand bulk
the details of the model and show how the matter and life itself—one thing on top of another. If
model is related to changes which occur. This you neglect the foundation, then whatever you try to
is much the same process as described under build on top of that shaky foundation will be even more
(3) for rules. For each model you should ask shaky. Because of this hierarchical structure, once you
“How does this model help me to understand neglect a particular “layer” there is only so far that you
some of the things which actually happen in can go beyond your present understanding before the
nature?” argument becomes meaningless. You just don’t have
the foundation to build further. Hierarchical structure is
Applications are real things that happen. There are not necessarily a characteristic of all courses or even
an infinite variety. In fact, many science courses consist disciplines at a university, but it is so with science. The
only of descriptions of one application after another. practical advice we offer is: Read through the Study
Although we do not focus on applications in this text, Guide before reading the chapter. Read the chapter
the understanding of real events in terms of fundamen- before coming to class. Clarify questions and miscon-
tal principles and models is the most important reason ceptions before going on. DON’T GET BEHIND.
for studying science.
We will discuss a few applications as we describe
each rule and model. You should begin to see the rela-
tionship between these as we indicated above.
However, we hope that you will begin to develop a
more important skill—that of explaining previously
unencountered applications in terms of appropriate laws
and models. In the one case, the principle and model
are presented and the application is used to illustrate
them. In the more difficult cases, you see only the
application. Your task is to review all the fundamental
principles and models you know and choose those
which explain the application. This facility is devel-
oped only by practice. It can be done only after the
capabilities described above for CONCEPTS, FUNDA-
MENTAL PRINCIPLES, and MODELS have been
mastered. Nevertheless, the ability to explain events in
terms of fundamental principles is an important intel-
lectual skill which enriches life and which will help you
to be a useful member of society.
Incidentally, there is an even higher level skill
which is at the heart of science but which we will not try
to develop in this course. This is the ability to discover
the fundamental principles and models which correctly
describe nature. We will be helping you to understand
some important ideas which have come to our attention,
and we will try to show you why we think they are
valid. However, you should know that the process is by
no means complete. There are many gaps in our under-
standing. Scientists of the world continue to dedicate
their lives to the end that all of us might understand
more completely and accurately.

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