AP Success - AP European History: 19th C. Scientific Evolution
Max Planck On His Early Education“When I began my physical studies [in Munich in 1874] and sought advice from my venerable teacher Philipp von Jolly...he portrayed to me physics as a highly developed, almost fully matured science...Possibly in one or another nook there would perhaps be a dust particle or a small bubble to be examined and classified, but the system as a whole stood there fairly secured, and theoretical physics approached visibly that degree of perfection which, for example, geometry has had already for centuries.”
Question 1
According to Max Planck's account, what was the prevailing view of physics in the academic community when he began his studies?
Physics was thought to be an unreliable field filled with speculative theories.
Physics was seen as a nearly complete science with only minor details left to discover.
Physics was considered a primitive science that was just beginning to develop.
Physics was viewed as a discipline in crisis, needing a complete overhaul.
Question 2
The comparison of physics to geometry in the source suggests that 19th-century scholars believed which of the following about physics?
Physics was a more experimental and less theoretical field than geometry.
Physics had reached a level of certainty and exactness similar to that of geometry.
Physics was still too abstract and not as applicable as geometry.
Physics was far more complex and less understood than geometry.
Question 3
Max Planck's reference to 'a dust particle or a small bubble' in the context of physics research most likely indicates:
An anticipation of groundbreaking discoveries in the field of physics.
A focus on the study of particulate matter as the future of physics.
A belief that only minor, insignificant discoveries were left to be made in physics.
The importance of meticulous attention to detail in physical experiments.
Question 4
The attitude of Philipp von Jolly towards physics as described by Max Planck reflects which broader intellectual trend of the late 19th century?
A pervasive skepticism about the ability of science to explain the natural world.
A sense of complacency and confidence in the existing scientific paradigms.
A spirit of excitement and anticipation for new scientific revolutions.
An urgent call for reform and modernization of scientific methods and education.
Question 5
Which of the following developments would most directly challenge the view of physics expressed by Philipp von Jolly?
The increased specialization and professionalization within the field of physics.
The refinement of classical mechanics and Newtonian physics.
The expansion of empirical research within the established framework of physics.
The emergence of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.
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