Relationships in Nature
Nature has various quantitative properties or characteristics scientists can measure in order to understand and model how it behaves. These measurable quantities often have direct connections to each other because it is inherent in what matter and energy are.
We perceive these connections in nature when we see one quantity change and notice another also changing at the same time. Two connected quantities can change in two ways:
the same direction (as one gets larger, so does the other.)
in opposite directions (as one gets larger, the other gets smaller.)
These connections can often be described by a mathematical function or relationship, giving us the ability to quantitatively predict what happens during change.
In this section, we will describe two common kinds of connections (relationships) we encounter in chemistry by looking at two familiar situations.
Necessary Connections Between Quantities
We all have the experience that larger objects typically have more mass. We can sense this when we lift them or push them. This suggests there is a necessary connection between mass and volume.
Scientists are particularly interested in finding connections that MUST change together, and then describing the quantitative relationship between them. These relationships can help us form testable explanations for why the connection exists. Now let's look at how we can translate these necessary quantitative connections into mathematical symbols.