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Course Title: NATURAL SCIENCE I
Course Description: Foundations of Natural Sciences I
Course Credit: 3 units
RGEP Cluster: MST
Division/College: Division of Natural Science and Mathematics , UPVTC
Campus: Tacloban
Course Objectives:
General Objectives:
After the course, the student should be able to:
1. gain comprehensive, integrated and synoptic understanding of the concepts,
principles and theories of the natural sciences; and
2. appreciate the natural world within the context of the concepts, principles and
theories discussed in the course.
Specific Objectives
After the course, the student should be able to:
1. explain certain natural processes and phenomena in the physico-chemical
world using scientific concepts and principles
2. make intelligent predictions about physical phenomena using concepts
discussed in the course.
Course Outline
1.
Introduction to the Natural Sciences
1.1. The Nature and Functions of Science
1.2. The Basic Ideas and Methods of Science
1.3. The Interconnections of Science and Technology
2.
Ancient Views about Nature
2.1. Ancient Genesis Myths and Cosmological Beliefs
2.2. Ancient Notions about Matter and Motion
2.3. Ptolemy's Geocentric Model and the Copernican Revolution
3.
The Emergence of Physics
3.1. The Motion of the Planets: Kepler's Laws
3.2. Galileo's Concepts of Motion: Velocity, Acceleration, Free Fall, Relativity
3.3. Galileo and the Scientific Method
4.
Newton's Mechanical Synthesis
4.1. Newton's Three Laws of Motion: Mass and Force
4.2. Newton's Theory of Gravity: Action at a Distance
4.3. Absolute Space and Absolute Time; Inertial and Non-inertial Reference Frames
4.4. Physical Laws: Universality, Relativity, Invariance
4.5. Momentum, Energy, and Conservation Laws
4.6. Newton's Clockwork Universe and the Rise of Mechanistic Philosophy
5.
The Unification of Electricity, Magnetism and Light
5.1. Electrical Phenomena: Coulomb's Law
5.2. Magnetic Phenomena: Experiments of Oersted and Ampere
5.3. Electromagnetic Phenomena: Faraday's Law of Induction
5.4. The Field Concept and Maxwell's Electromagnetic Synthesis
5.5. Electromagnetic Waves, Light, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
5.6. Waves and their Properties; the Ether Concept
First Exam (Physics)
6.
Einstein's Relativistic Revolution
6.1. The Search for the Ether: The Michelson-Morley Experiment
6.2. Postulates of Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity
6.3. Space, Time, Mass and Energy According to Einstein
6.4. Foundations of Einstein's General Theory
6.5. Four-Dimensional Space-Time: the Geometrization of Gravity
6.6, Experimental Tests of General Relativity
7.
The Quantum World of Uncertainties
7.1. Blackbody Radiation and Planck's Quantum Hypothesis
7.2. Wave Particle Duality: Photons and de Broglie Waves
7.3. The Rutherford Model of the Atom; Atomic Spectra
7.4. Bohr's Theory and Quantization of Angular Momentum
7.5. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle; Bohr's Complementary Principle
7.6. Quantum Probabilities, Indeterminism and Randomness
7.7. Schrodinger's Contributions
7.8. Concepts of Spin and Anti-matter: Dirac's Electron Theory
7.9. Concepts of Fermions and Bosons
8.
Probing and the Subatomic World
8.1. Nuclei: Protons, Neutrons, Atomic Masses, Isotopes
8.2. Nuclear Reactions: Radioactivity, Fission, Fusion
8.3. Particle Accelerators: Probe to Subatomic World
8.4. Quantum Fields, Virtual Quanta, and the Vacuum
8.5. The Strong Force and the Family of Hadrons
8.6. The Strong Force and the Family of Hadrons
8.7. The Weak Force and the Family of Leptons
8.8. Quarks: their Flavors and Colors
8.9. Gluons and the Four Fundamental Forces of Nature
9.0. The Search for A Unified Theory
9.
The Origin and Evolution of the Universe
9.1. The Cosmic Scenery: Planets, Stars, Galaxies, Quasars
9.2. The Expanding Universe: Hubble's Law
9.3. Relativistic Cosmology: The Big Bang Theory
9.4. The Birth and Death of Stars: White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes
9.5. The Synthesis of Matter
9.6. The Ultimate Fate of the Universe: Continuous Expansion or Eventual
Contraction
Second Exam (Physics)
10. The Structure of Atoms
10.1. Atomic Orbitals and Quantum Numbers
10.1. Electronic Structure and Distribution
10.3. Electron Spin; Paramagnet ism
11. The Elements of the Universe
11.1. Mendeleev's Arrangement of the Elements
11.2. Build-up of Atoms and the Periodic Table
11.3. Periodic Properties of Elements: Atomic and Ionic Sizes
11.4. Ionization Energy and Electronegativity: Pauling and Mulliken
11.5. Metallic and None-Metallic Elements: Filled Shells and The Rule of Eight
12. The Ties that Bind
12.1. Formation of Molecules: G.N. Lewis Electron Dot Formula
12.2. Electron Transfer and Electron Sharing
12.3. Compounds: Polarity of Bonds, Geometry of Polar Molecules
12.4. Carbon, Silicon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Hydrogen and their Molecules
12.5. Hybrid Orbitals and molecules of C, S, N, O and H
12.6. Physical and Chemical Properties of the Molecules of C, S, N, O, and H
12.7. Occurrence of the Molecules of C, S, N, O and H
12.8. Metals: Their Bonding and Properties
Third Exam (Chemistry)
13. The Three States of Matter
13.1. Intermolecular Forces
13.2. Gases, Liquids, and Solids: Molecular Structures and Properties
13.3. Energies Involved in Phase Changes
13.4. The Kinetic Molecular Hypothesis: The Model
13.5. The Observed Behavior of Gases: Boyle and Charles
13.6. Mixtures, Solutions, and Colloids
13.7. Elemental Composition: Universe, Earth, Life
14. Making and Breaking Ties: Chemical Reactions
14.1. Conservation of Electrons
14.2. Conservation of Mass: Stoichiometry
14.3. Spontaneous Reactions: Gibbs' Free Energy
14.4. Thermodynamic Laws: Enthalpy, Entropy
14.5. Entropy in the Universe and in Life
14.6. Rates of Chemical Reactions: Molecular Collisions
15. Environmental Chemistry
15.1. Catalysts and the Environmental
15.2. Combustion: fuels, energy sources and the environment
15.3. Concept of Limitation (renewable vs. nonrenewable resources)
15.4. Pollution: soil, air and water
16. Materials Science
16.1. Conductors and semiconductors
16.2. Liquid Crystals
16.3. Organic Polymers
16.4. Lahar
17. Chemistry of Life
17.1. The beginnings of organic chemistry
17.2. The building blocks of life
17.3. Giant molecules
17.4. Biochemistry
Fourth Exam (Chemistry)
Course Policies
1.
The minimum passing score is 50%.
2.
Students who stop attending classes without officially dropping the course will be
given a grade of “5”.
3.
There will be four (4) long examinations and one (1) final exam which will have
equal weights.
4.
A student who gets an average of at least 60% will be exempted from the final
examination.
5.
A student who fails to take two (2) long examinations shall automatically incur the
grade of “5” unless he drops the subject. No student may be exempted from the
finals if he/she fails to take one (1) long examination. A student who tails to take the
finals shall be given the grade of “5” unless his/her absence is strongly excusable
and his/her average grade for the four (4) long examinations is passing.
6.
Computation of Grades
The final grade shall come from the four exams and the final exam (80%). A special
project (15%) will be assigned by the middle of the semester. The remaining 5%
shall come from class performance (attendance, recitation, etc).
Grading Scale
Percentage
Numerical Grade
90 - 100
1.00
85 – 89.9
1.25
Percentage
Numerical Grade
80 – 84.9
1.50
75 – 79.9
1.75
70 – 74.9
2.00
65 – 69.9
2.25
60 – 64.9
2.50
55 – 59.9
2.75
50 – 54.9
3.00
45 – 49.9
4.00
0 – 44.9
5.00