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MEASUREMENT
Lesson 1 - Page 11

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All industries require measurement in some form or another.  Scientists especially need to be precise in their experiments and require the right kind of equipment.   Comparing and contrasting allows standardization which in turn leads to valid and repeatable conclusions.  Laboratory equipment can be very complicated because many pieces were designed for certain functions.  In many cases, scientists or inventors have to develop their own "tools" in order to develop a valid experiment.  In early labs a glassblower was a fundamental part of the work place.   Tools not only include equipment but the ability to use principles of mathematics to precisely measure is as important.

We will see in later chapters how some scientists had to develop mathematical principles or rules in order to derive information easily.   It is very common to do experiments and collect data.  The data is then analyzed to see if patterns emerge.  If patterns can be observed, than a formula can be derived without doing tedious experiments.  Sir Isaac Newton had to “invent” calculus in order to explore outer space.  So mathematics is a very important “tool.”