  ALMA will revolutionize the study of star formation by providing a
combination of angular resolution and sensitivity that far exceeds that of
present instruments. I will focus on studies of relatively isolated cores that
are forming low-mass stars. There is a general paradigm for the formation of
such stars, and there are detailed theoretical predictions for the evolution of
the density and velocity fields for different assumptions about the initial
conditions. Because the theory is well developed, observational tests are
particularly revealing. The primary probes of physical conditions in these
regions are discussed and the sensitivity of ALMA to these probes is shown and
compared to the current state of the art. The consequences for the ALMA
requirements are discussed.
