Science Essays for College Students

Tag: science

  • Science Lesson on Autocratic Rule

    There is an immutable law in physics, the second law of thermodynamics, that any isolated system not receiving the input of energy (work) from the outside will tend toward states of greater disorder. Examining human history, one might suspect another immutable law: that societies will progress to autocratic rule if there is no effort (work)…

  • How do we place ourselves in the universe?

    During our lifetimes, NASA has deployed exceptionally powerful astronomical instruments, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These instruments are designed to examine extremely distant celestial objects. The Hubble telescope operates within the visible spectrum of light, whereas the JWST uses the infrared spectrum; sophisticated equipment is necessary to…

  • Where Physics and Biology Intersect

    Life and the Second Law of Thermodynamics Life is orderly, contrasting the second law of thermodynamics, which states that systems naturally become more disordered over time. A few examples of the second law are that sandcastles erode, leaves scatter, perfume evaporates, a cup of coffee and the universe cool. Despite this law, living organisms maintain…

  • On Biology and Cellular Neuroscience

    Life on Earth has existed for over three billion years. It has evolved through mutations and natural selection as described in the 19th century by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace. It is diverse with beneficial mutations accumulating over these years. Diversity is essential and remains in the DNA of all living things. Due to…

  • VI. Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity: History and Mathematics

    A Basic Introduction to the Gravitational Field Equation One learns in elementary physics that g represents the acceleration of gravity having units of distance/(time)2 and that E represents the electric field having units of Newtons/Coulomb. We may not have appreciated when first encountering these two important vectors that the mathematical fields associated with them take identical forms, and that they…

  • II. Angles and their role in Special Relativity

    Introduction Right angles help define the space around us. In addition to their usefulness for local space, right angles are necessary for understanding “inertial reference frames” used in Einstein’s theory of special (and general) relativity. Four thousand years before Einstein, the Egyptians knew how to use geometry and four equally spaced right (90˚) angles for…

  • I. Maxwell’s Equations:

    His anticipation of light’s immutable speed in vacuum This essay covers some pivotal scientists and their breakthroughs that established the laws of electricity and magnetism in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a focus on James Clerk Maxwell. Their discoveries fundamentally changed our understanding and application of electrical power. In addition to highlighting scientists, especially…

  • V.  A Conversation about Quantum Mechanics

    Reckoning with uncertainty; a beginners guide to physics at the smallest scale       Familiar quotations “Quantum mechanics is very impressive.  But an inner voice tells me that this is not yet the right track.  The theory yields much, but it hardly brings us closer to the Old One’s secrets.  I, in any case, am convinced…

  • IV. Summary of Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

     An Introduction to Some of the Basics Thermodynamics is concerned with heat (thermos), movement (dynamics), and work; all are forms of energy. During the industrial revolution beginning in the 18th century, engineers started examining heat as a source for movement and work … replacing draft animals, wind, and waterfalls. Classical thermodynamics began by pondering only…