Unit 9: The Dawn of Atomic Physics.

All science is either physics or stamp collecting.

Ernest Rutherford

WARM-UP

1. Think of as many words as possible related to physics. How important is physics to you?

2. What are the branches of physics? Rearrange the letters to find out.

A	mticoa
B	umlelaroc
C	icalcslas
D	iccsatsou
E	pctsio
F	pleticar
G	osidl attes

Continue enumerating the branches of physics.

What does each branch deal with?

3. Match the letters used in Physics with their phenomena they stand for.

   1	A	a	magnetization
   2	E	b	potential energy
   3	K E	c	electric field
   4	M	d	entropy
   5	Q	e	electric current
   6	U	f	kinetic energy
   7	S	g	electric charge

4. Discuss the following questions in small groups.

1. Do you remember any important scientific discoveries and inventions in physics made in:

1. the 19^th century;

1. the 20^th century;

2. the early 21^st century.

1. Do you know about physicists whose names are connected with our University?

2. Name the departments / faculties and subfaculties which deal with physics.

5. Do you agree or disagree with the quotations?

1. "In the matter of physics, the first lessons should contain nothing but what is experimental and interesting to see. A pretty experiment is in itself often more valuable than twenty formulae extracted from our minds." Albert Einstein

2. "The continuum is that which is divisible into indivisible that are infinitely divisible Physics" Aristotle

3. "Physics is, hopefully, simple. Physicists are not." Edward Teller

4. "In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself − nature does it for you." Frank Wilczek

5. Nothing is accidental in the universe − this is one of my Laws of Physics − except the entire universe itself, which is Pure Accident, pure divinity." Joyce Carol

6. "I am now convinced that theoretical physics is actually philosophy." Max Born

7. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” Albert Einstein

READING

6. Underline the stressed sound in each word as in the example. Practise reading.

physicists, discovery, X-rays, photograph, through, mysterious, opaque, phenomenon, self-satisfaction, uranium salts, pure, honour, enough, conclusion, tons, possess, electrify, phosphorescent, triumphant, minute, hydrogen, weight, structure.

7. Practise reading the following numerals:

2500, 1869, 1895, 1898, the 21^st century, 1932, 3,000,000, 235, 125,000,000^th

8. Read the text "The dawn of atomic physics" and put the sentences into chronological order.

	Marie and Pierre were especially interested in learning more about pitchblende.
	After that Marie and Pierre isolated a second new element.
	The discovery of W.K. Roentgen showed that the work of physicists was far from being at the end.
	To answer this question, they purified huge amounts of the natural ore.
	They chose the name "radium" because the element gives off such intense radiation.
	Eventually, they isolated a new element that gave off radiation much more intensely than did the pitchblende itself.
	Becquerel's discovery caused great excitement among scientists.
	What was in the ore that was giving off radiation, they asked.
	The Curies named the new element polonium.
	Marie Curie found out that the salt of thorium gave off mysterios rays.

9. Answer the following questions.

1. What opinion did scientists have as for the development of physics at the end of the 19th century?

2. What discovery was announced in 1895?

3. What is a mysterious ray which penetrates opaque objects called?

4. Who made the discovery of the rays given off by uranium salts?

5. Which of the two, pitchblende or pure uranium, gave off rays four times stronger?

6. What new element did the Curies obtain in 1898?

7. What properties did this new substance possess?

10. Think of other heading to the text.