Download Unit: Rise of Modern Europe Topic: The Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Revolution
Truth?
In the Middle Ages,
scholars decided
truth based on the
Bible or from
Greek or Roman
texts.
In the Renaissance,
people questioned
how the universe
worked.
This caused the
Scientific
Revolution.
The
Aristotelian View of the Universe
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Aristotle put forth this view of the universe
in the 4th century B.C.
This is commonly known as the
GEOCENTRIC view where a motionless
Earth is at the center of the universe while
the moon, sun, planets, and stars revolve
around the Earth.
Notice also that it was believed that the
orbits were circular.
Ancient astronomers also believed the
Earth was composed of “heavy” elements
while the celestial bodies were composed
of completely different substances and
thus were weightless, allowing them to
orbit the Earth.
The
Copernican Hypothesis
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In the 16th century, the Polish monk,
mathematician, and astronomer
Copernicus (1473-1543) challenged the
geocentric theory.
His famous work On the Revolutions
of the Heavenly Spheres, held the sun
to be the center of the solar system
aka, the HELIOCENTRIC
theory.
His ideas are
attacked by religious
authorities;
Luther called him
“the fool who wants
to turn the whole
art of astronomy
upside down.”
1. Nicolaus Copernicus
1500’s
Polish
Astronomy
Heliocentric
theory – the
earth and
planets revolve
around the sun!
Until this time, scholars believed in the
geocentric theory, that everything in the
universe revolved around the earth.
 Copernicus’
theory still
didn’t explain
why the planets
orbited the way
they did.
 Fearing ridicule
or persecution,
Copernicus did
not publish his
findings until
1543, the year
he died.
Model of our Solar System
GALILEO
EVIDENCE FOR HELIOCENTRICISM
(OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOONS OF JUPITER)
3. Galileo Galilei
1609-1642
Italian
Scientist &
astronomer
Invented the
telescope
GALILEO OBSERVED JUPITER AND THE ROTATION OF
ITS MOONS
In Italy, Galileo
confirmed
Copernicus’
heliocentric
theory through
the use of his
telescope.
The Catholic Church warned Galileo, but in 1632 he
published a heliocentric book!
The pope called Galileo to Rome to stand trial.
Under the threat of torture and excommunication,
Galileo knelt before the cardinals and read a
confession that the heliocentric theory was false.
 Galileo was
never again a
free man,
living under
house arrest
and dying in
1642 in
Florence.
 His books and
ideas still
spread
throughout
Europe.
SIR ISAAC NEWTON
4. Isaac Newton
1687- published
book
English
Physicist
Developed the law
of gravity & laws of
motion
What does an apple have to do
with gravity? Ac-cording to
George Stukeley, Newton’s
biographer and friend,
Newton was sitting in the
shade of an apple tree when
an apple fell nearby. Newton
began to wonder why apples
always fall to the ground.
Why don’t they fall sideways
or up? Newton reasoned that
the earth must have a power
that draws objects to it. That
was the beginning of the law
of gravity.
Newton established the
law of universal
gravitation.
According to this law,
every object in the
universe attracts every
other object.
In 1687, Newton wrote
Mathematical
Principles of Natural
Philosophy, full of his
ideas.
UNIVERSAL LAW OF GRAVITATION
NEWTONIAN SYNTHESIS-RATIONAL PROOF FOR THE
HELIOCENTRIC MODEL
NEWTON’S LAW OF GRAVITY
RENE’ DESCARTES
“I think, therefore, I am.”
Rene’ Descartes 1596-1650
French mathematician
 Invented analytical geometry
 Developed a scientific method based on
rational deduction rather than empirical
induction
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Stressed rational speculation and reflection
Descartes believed that he could rationally
prove the existence of God
10. Rene Descartes
1600’s
French
Scientist
Supported idea
that human
reason should be
used to find truth
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A French researcher, Rene
Descartes relied on mathematics
and logic.
He believed that everything should
be doubted until proved by reason.
“I think therefore I am.”
~Rene Descartes