The Right Tool Without the right tool many tasks are difficult or impossible But a useful tool can inspire people to use it in various ways One tool is not suited for all purposes though So inventors are always designing new and better tools for specific jobs Scientific knowledge DID YOU KNOW The term technology applies to any practical use of scientific knowledge Many nations are technologically advanced because the lifestyles of their contributes to the invention of some tools The light bulb for instance would not exist without knowledge of electricity Likewise earlier scientific discoveries made engines televisions and microwave ovens possible citizens depend on technology 6
PAST TO PRESENT PAST TELEVISION TV networks send television signals through the air at the speed of light Today all TV signals in the United States are a digital signal PAST PRESENT MUSIC PLAYER Audiotapes store music as magnetioc signals Compact discs CDs and digital files store it as data All music players convert stored material back into sound PRESENT PAST LIGHT BULB All light bulbs use electric power to produce light The latest types of bulbs have been improved to use less electricity to produce light PRESENT PRESENT CELL PHONE Every cell phone uses radio waves to send and receive messages Voice text picture and video messages are common on today’s cell phones PAST 7
Scientific Tools Everywhere Scientists both young and old use tools to help them find or discover information From the simplest to the most advanced tools are useful at every stage of the scientific process Certain tools are ideal for observing and collecting information Scientists rely on other tools to conduct experiments To organize and store data and share it with others scientists make use of an even different set of tools Wherever investigations into science take place tools are in use In laboratories biologists use powerful instruments to study cells Chemists use other devices to analyze substances In the field special tools allow geologists to explore the Earth and astronomers to study the stars BIOLOGIST 8
