SECTION I. : PHYSICS. 



CHAPTER I. 



1. FORMS OF MATTER. 



Matter. Every person is being continually brought by means of 

 his senses into contact with things of all kinds. These objects, sub- 

 stances, stuffs, or whatever they may be called, become known in 

 different ways, appealing as they do to different senses. Some are 

 smelt, some are seen, others are felt, while others again become known 

 by the powers of tasting and hearing. But by whichever of the five 

 gateways of knowledge as the senses have been called the information 

 reaches the brain, the result is an acquaintance with material things, 

 or, as they may also be called, forms of matter, in the universe. The 

 general term used to speak of all kinds of material things is matter, 

 which may be defined as all things existing in or out of the world, 

 which are become aware of by the help of the senses. 



It is worth while to bear in mind that all phenomena of physical 

 or natural science are examined by the help of the senses. When, 

 therefore, any information is gained by an accurate use of the carefully 

 trained senses, it may be regarded as a fact of science which may be 

 reasoned about in order to construct a theory or arrive at a generalisa- 

 tion. To use an expression of Huxley's, " science is organised common 

 rense." 



Different kinds of matter. Though matter exists in an infinite 

 variety of forms, living and dead, the different kinds may be arranged 

 roughly into three classes, according to certain of the properties they 

 possess. These classes are : 



(1) Solid things, or solids ; 



(2) Liquid things, or liquids ; 



(3) Gaseous things, or gases. 



Sometimes the last two are made into one class and called fluids. 

 J.G.S. A <$> 



