Re: [Phys-L] strange things in chem book

["Turner, Jacob" <turner@uidaho.edu>]

Standard High School approach.  Semantics are frequently argued though.

Personally I would say that Theory should be reworded to say "a theory is an explanation of how something works". And theory cannot become a law amended to say that some laws and theories come in a pair (both explain/model the same thing).

Table thing is new to me. But sounds like a personal preference deal.  It does match how most Chemists like to work from my observation.  But not how I have seen most physicists want things.

Jacob Turner - (208) 885-2730
Director of Physics Laboratory Education
University of Idaho

On Sep 13, 2012, at 7:57 PM, "Paul Lulai" <plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us> wrote:

> Hey.
> I am teaching gen chem for the first time in years (high school).  The book says some strange things:
> a hypothesis is a prediction with an explanation.
> a theory is a how we think things work.
> a law is a mathematical model for prediction.
> a theory can not become a law.
> a data table should only include raw data. it should not include any calculation, not even subtraction of two collected values.
> These statements seem to be a bit odd.  Am I alone?  
>
> Have a good one.
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Paul Lulai.
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