An Introduction to Physical Science 15th Edition

Book Preface

Science and technology are the driving forces of change in our world today. They  revolutionize all aspects of our lives, including communication, transportation,  medical care, the environment, politics, and education. To understand and fully  participate in this transformation, it is important that today’s students advance their  knowledge of science. In addition to increasing their understanding of the principles of  science, it is imperative that students know how science is truly conducted, and when,  where, and to what science is applied. Equipped with this knowledge, they can better  adapt to their environment and make informed decisions that ultimately affect their lives and the lives of others.

Approach

An Introduction to Physical Science (IPS) had its beginnings in the late 1960s for a course  at Ohio University. Science was a popular offering at the time with the excitement of  the first mission to the Moon. James T. Shipman wrote a physics section, which was  quickly followed by sections of the other physical sciences. Published locally at first, the  textbook was picked up and published nationally in 1971. It flourished and went on for subsequent editions. In 2009, IPS won the McGuffey Longevity Award from Textbook &  Academic Authors Association. The award recognizes a textbook whose excellence has  been demonstrated over time, must have been in print at least 15 years, and still be  selling. That was for the Eleventh Edition, and now we present a Fifteenth Edition.

What makes IPS such a long running textbook? Over the years there have been many  changes and developments in science, and IPS has addressed these by keeping current and  up-to-date. Our motivation to present advancements in science is driven by the interests  of the students taking this course. Student interest is often overshadowed by the belief  that the study of science should focus exclusively on technical skills and understanding.  To counter this, IPS uses a predominately conceptual approach with descriptions and  examples that students will understand and find relevant to their life and education. In keeping with this approach, we added a new feature to the Fifteenth Edition,  Physical Science Today. These articles showcase current technologies and applications,  some of which have important biological and medical uses. Take a look at these in the  list given on the next page. Also below is our approach to mathematics so that students  always have a reference for the math they’ll be solving. Only basic high school math  is needed for this course. Worked out Exercises are given. Also new to the Fifteenth Edition is a Thinking It Through section that has been added to each exercise prior to the  answer to show the student the thought process for solution. Our hope is these new  features, along with the hallmarks of fourteen previous editions, will make your course a learning and rewarding experience.

One of the outstanding features of this textbook continues to be its emphasis on fundamental concepts. We build on these concepts as we progress through the chapters.  For example, Chapter 1, which introduces the concepts of measurement, is followed by  chapters on the basic topics of physics: motion, force, energy, heat, wave motion, electricity and magnetism, atomic physics, and nuclear physics. This foundation in physics  is useful in developing the principles of chemistry, astronomy, meteorology, and geology in the chapters that follow. We hope that this will lead to more students choosing  careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

Evolving from previous editions of An Introduction to Physical Science, the goal of the  new Fifteenth Edition is to present the physical sciences in a way that promotes an  active learning approach. IPS aims to inspire curiosity, involve students in every step  of the learning process and improve their overall science literacy. The text’s real-world  emphasis along with scaffolded pedagogy are further enhanced in this Fifteenth Edition  by a new active learning digital workbook in WebAssign®, Cengage’s online learning platform. The Digital Workbook lessons will expose students to in-depth, comprehensive activities with rich targeted feedback that will help them build a conceptual and  practical mastery of key ideas in physical science. It provides a new source of contextual support for students and teachers, and provides an auxiliary study guide for when  assessment time comes around.

To address the need for critical reasoning and problem-solving skills in an everchanging technological world, we emphasize fundamental concepts in the five divisions  of physical sciences: physics, chemistry, astronomy, meteorology, and geology. Topics are  treated both descriptively and quantitatively, in a fashion ideal for nonscience majors,  providing instructors with greater flexibility in teaching. Concepts are thoroughly introduced and are followed with quantitative examples. Features like Highlights and Physical  Science Today provide extended information on applied sciences. Consistent with prior  editions, the end-of-chapter section has dozens of questions for review in various  forms. We hope that instructors find the textbook up-to-date, with clear, concise, and  classical treatment of the physical sciences. As instructors, you have great flexibility in  emphasizing certain topics for a one-semester course or using the full set of topics for a two-semester course.

Organizational Updates and Key Features in the Fifteenth Edition Physical Science Today (PST)—These descriptions link important concepts  in physical science to current technologies and applications of current  interest. Some are important biological and medical applications. These include:
Chapter 1: What’s Your Body Density? Try BMI
Chapter 2: Rotating Tablet Screens
Chapter 4: Light Bulbs That Last 50,000 Hours?
Chapter 5: Boyle’s Law: Breathing and the Heimlich Maneuver
Chapter 6: Deaf and Can Still Hear? Bone Conduction
Chapter 7: Visual Acuity and 20/20 Vision
Chapter 8: Sensitive to the Touch: Touch Screens
Chapter 10: Zapped with Gamma Rays: Irradiated Food
Chapter 10: Smoking and Tobacco Radiation: Bad for Your Health
Chapter 12: Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries
Chapter 13: Auto Air Bag Chemistry and Millions of Recalls
Chapter 14: DNA Gene Therapy
Chapter 17: Total Solar Eclipses
Chapter 18: Gravity Waves
Chapter 20: Don’t Go Under That Tree! Lightning Formation and Tree Strikes
Chapter 20: Ruminating Up Some CH4
New Topic Highlights for this edition:
Chapter 13: Acids and Bases in Your Stomach
Chapter 14: Breathalyzers
Chapter 15: Time Traveler
Chapter 16: Juno Reveals Jupiter
Chapter 21: Tectonic Activity on Mars
Chapter 22: Kıˉlauea: The Most Active Volcano in the World
●● Updated photographs and information of the latest astronomical discoveries like  exoplanets, Pluto’s surface, gravity waves, supermassive black holes, and the age of the universe.
●● Thinking It Through (TIT)—Following Example questions and before given  Solutions, TIT sections help students engage critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving strategies while working through the example

● Did You Know—Each chapter begins with key questions and their accompanying  sections to help quickly orient students and introduce them to the central ideas of  the chapter.
●● Facts—Each chapter begins with a list of Facts, a brief description of pertinent,  interesting, and user-friendly items regarding concepts and topics to be covered  in the chapter.
●● Key Questions—A short set of preview questions ask about important topics that will  be covered in the following section.
●● Did You Learn?—A short set of answers to the Key Questions reviews what the  student should know after reading a section.
●● Conceptual Question and Answer—These test student comprehension with a  Conceptual Question, often related to an everyday application, and give the answer, which reinforces the topic of the text.