Valuable Science Tool

In this article, "How do we know protons, electrons, and quarks really exist?", Bill Robertson explains that there are many occasions in science that the discussion is about an object or a c... See More

In this article, "How do we know protons, electrons, and quarks really exist?", Bill Robertson explains that there are many occasions in science that the discussion is about an object or a concept that cannot be seen. The author uses a great analogy by having the reader imagine being in a dark room, chained to a chair, with only a pile of rocks at one's disposal. With the rocks, Robertson explains, one could get an idea of the size of the room and where a door might be located by throwing the rocks in all directions. When trying to find out what atoms might look like, scientists had to perform many experiments to support their theories. Explaining the "dark room" analogy to students is a great way to open up discussion in the classroom about scientific findings that are not always obvious. I think it is a valuable tool in challenging the students to think beyond what they can see.

How Do We Know?

This article provides an excellent explanation of how a model of the atom was created comparing it with Rutherford’s alpha particles experiment. The author uses something that we all can id... See More

This article provides an excellent explanation of how a model of the atom was created comparing it with Rutherford’s alpha particles experiment. The author uses something that we all can identify with--throwing rocks in a dark room--to explain how a model is created and how a model is used, as long as it is “consistent with” everything we observe. Models are useful because they explain our observations and help us predict new observations.