Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1911-12-24

school. before the Teachers lnstitut
Wednesday.
THE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE
OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICi
IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
In discussing the question OF tn
benefit OF the natural sciences il
the hitch school. | suppose my hear
ers will expect me to talk of the com
mercial Importance, but first | wisl
10 say word about them from the
academic standpoint.
| believe the greatest benefit e
be derived from the study of sciences
in the high school is the cultivation
OF the scientific spirit-that is the
spirit Of inquiry. and the spirit of the
study Of cause and effect. In chem.
is(,y and physics the students Is
taught to be close observer: to paw
attention TO minutia to details. 10
acknowledge the oyerN helminP i'm.
portance of care and precision. His
powers of initiative and invention
are stimulated, and the love for the
search of truth Is fostered.
When We examine attentiyely the
facts Of natOre around us, VIC study
what are called physical. as distin-
snished from mental phenomena. In
this study II is necessary to assume
the reality Of this outer world of ma.
ture. and TO assert that external OBJ.
lecis exist apart from and indepen.
IDENTIFY OF. the m.ud of any one OF.
serving them. 1t is true that we be-
eoue acquainted with the physical
universe solely by means OF our
senses, hut these alone 10 rot en-
able us TO decide whether the outer
material world has a real existence
or only the appearance of IT, The
final test OF physical reality or that
the material world is az real as the
mental one which gives us thoughts
and feelings, is thu fact that the ply
steal world remains unchanged in
q"a,ltN, or fixed In amount. however.
Il NAV be measured.
Tried by this test. there ar, only
two classes OF things in the physical
rid matter and energy Out OF
.he effort to deal with these things
have grown NJ the two sciences of
which ] speak. In It's most general
aspect physics may be defined rs tho
quani'tiye science of matter AMI en-
erev Chemistry is thai part Of NJ.
tural science treating of the cu,npo-
sitior Of natter knowledge of tie
composition OF substances is obtained
by three general methods analysis.
synthesis ard metathesis. All tn
materials OF this universe. both living
and lifeless, are classified by the
- mists as either chemical elements
- chemical compounds. The com
pounds are quite different in their
properties from the elements which
compose them, and It takes close
s'adent TO pro9hesy their properties
Although physics and chemistry
are not now vet are modern sciences.
they have found their way into most
high schools. and an increasingly
iarec number Of boys and girls are
yearly engaged in their study. The
question micht Wen bc asked by any
OF these students. why do / take up
the study Of chemistry and rhysicss
or what practical value is It TO me
Aside from the discipline it gives me.
Is there ANYTHING that | ear take
away which will help me in my future
lie aS hoy or g'r' With only high
school education9
The answer to this question is
plain. II the study of physics and
chemistry viii give us better un.
Outstanding of our own bodies and
their care, Of our food and drink, Of
our clothing. OF our conveyances. OF
sound and color, then II certpinly "a
Of Use TO us II
sun another reason why We should
study the occult sciences. is thst We
NAV work Understandable for tSe ,
conservation Of our natural re.
sources The quantity Of waste pro- ,
ducts that have been lest in the des-
truotivc dist'llation OF coal. Is Grim 4,
inally great But these conditions .
are fast improving now. and II, some
cases the recol cred waste pro mcts ,
bring in more revenue than the main
Dne
Perhaps all you who are students !
OF geography know that the only :
large sodium nitrate beds in the y
world are In Chill. This product. 9
referred to as Chilli saltpeter. is be. s
ing rapidly diminished and the world
mas wondered what could be done =
when the supply was exhausted. But ,
the chemists of Norway have solved
The problem by THEN process Of get
Iins nitrogen from the air, ard their
pfoduc, is known as Norway salt. =
peter. Since We know that so FER =
rent OF the atmosphere is composed y
u the inert gas nitrop en-. the possi. g
Diiities of this process are practically 1
l'mitless.
Technical chemical processes fur
Hish man with a large part of his q
Iood they give him material for his l.,
nOuoa amt haat ,,H III. a,