Physical Science
WESTWOOD COLLEGE
Measurement and Criminal Justice
Introduction to Physical Science
03/04/2013
It is stated that science can be defined as an organized body of knowledge about the natural universe and the processes by which that knowledge is acquired and tested. Physical science focuses on the study of the nonliving. (Shipman, 2013,2009) Physical science has five branches that it falls under. These branches are Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Meteorology, and Geology. In the field of Criminal Justice, there are many things that correlate to physical science. One of the things that you will see in the Criminal Justice field more often is measurement. You will see measurement whether it is on a typical day or if it is during an investigation. Not only does a criminal justice professional have to conduct an investigation on the job but so do scientists. Measurements are the basis of scientific investigation. Police officers and investigators have their own way of investigating situations; scientists investigate by using the scientific method. The scientific method consists of: Observations and methods, Hypothesis, Experiments, Theory, and Law. (Shipman, 2013,2009) Today we use two major systems of units the metric system and the British system. The most common one in the U.S would be the metric system. Using this system can determine anything, how fast a vehicle is speeding or the speed limit itself. You can determine how fast the vehicle was going when it caused a collision and anything else in regards to traffic accidents. A part of measurement is also the Length and the width. In the criminal justice field you can use these measurements on how far was the offender from the victim when the victim got shot. How far did the bullet have to travel when it impacted the victim? You can measure footprints, finger prints, and any type of evidence that was left behind at a crime scene. The reason for measuring this is because if you do have a
Measurement and Criminal Justice
Introduction to Physical Science
03/04/2013
It is stated that science can be defined as an organized body of knowledge about the natural universe and the processes by which that knowledge is acquired and tested. Physical science focuses on the study of the nonliving. (Shipman, 2013,2009) Physical science has five branches that it falls under. These branches are Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Meteorology, and Geology. In the field of Criminal Justice, there are many things that correlate to physical science. One of the things that you will see in the Criminal Justice field more often is measurement. You will see measurement whether it is on a typical day or if it is during an investigation. Not only does a criminal justice professional have to conduct an investigation on the job but so do scientists. Measurements are the basis of scientific investigation. Police officers and investigators have their own way of investigating situations; scientists investigate by using the scientific method. The scientific method consists of: Observations and methods, Hypothesis, Experiments, Theory, and Law. (Shipman, 2013,2009) Today we use two major systems of units the metric system and the British system. The most common one in the U.S would be the metric system. Using this system can determine anything, how fast a vehicle is speeding or the speed limit itself. You can determine how fast the vehicle was going when it caused a collision and anything else in regards to traffic accidents. A part of measurement is also the Length and the width. In the criminal justice field you can use these measurements on how far was the offender from the victim when the victim got shot. How far did the bullet have to travel when it impacted the victim? You can measure footprints, finger prints, and any type of evidence that was left behind at a crime scene. The reason for measuring this is because if you do have a
Cited: Measuring Crime . (2013). Retrieved 03 03, 2013, from National Academy of Sciences: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10581&page=10 Shipman, W. a. (2013,2009). Measurement. In W. a. Shipman, An Introduction to Physical Science 13 Edition (pp. 1-25). Boston, MA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Smart Policing Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved 03 03, 2013, from Measurment and Analysis of Crime and Justice: http://www.smartpolicinginitiative.com/sites/all/files/Measuring%20the%20Costs%20and%20Benefits%20of%20Crime%20and%20Justice.pdf