Download aka Nicholas Copernicus

Thinkers of the Scientific
Revolution
Nicolaus Copernicus
(aka Nicholas Copernicus)
•1473- 1543
•Polish priest and astronomer
who shook the foundations of
Europeans beliefs
•Challenged Ptolemy’s system
•Based on mathematics he
developed a heliocentric theory
that placed the earth as the 3rd
planet rotating around the sun
•Major work:
The Revolution of Heavenly
Bodies
Tycho Brahe
•1546- 1601
• Danish astronomer
•Meticulously recorded star
data for 20 years
•Chartered the irregular
path of a comet which
disproved Ptolemaic theory
•Didn’t fully accept
heliocentric theory
•Massive collection of data
helped future scientists
Johann Kepler
•1571- 1630
•Mathematician who
developed the first theories of
motion
•Was Brahe’s assistant and used
Braher’s data to come up with
the theory that planets moved
in ellipses
•His first Law of Motion stated
that the planets moved in
elliptical orbits
•His second Law of Motion
stated that the planets sweep
through an equal are of space
in an equal amount time
Galileo Galilei (1564- 1642)
•First to use a telescope to look at the heavens, with it he
saw Jupiter’s moons, and the craters on the moon
•Works:
•Starry Messenger= got him in trouble with the
Spanish Inquisition, which had warned him not to
openly support Copernicus
•Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems= stated
this was a work of fiction to placate the Church. The
Church didn’t fall for it and forced him to recant. He
spent the rest of his life in house arrest
•Theory of Inertia= stated that things in motion
remained in motion unless acted upon by another
force– implied God is not necessary to move planets
•Considered the first modern scientist
•Developed the Scientific Method of experimentation
•Was one of the mechanists (how, NOT why)
Isaac Newton (1642- 1727)
•Published The Principia= described
three laws of motion
1.
2.
3.
•
•
•
In the absence of force, motion continues in
a straight line
The rate of change of the motion is
determined by by the forces acting on it
Action and reaction between two bodies are
equal and opposite
Law of universal gravitation=
applied the concept of gravity to
both heaven and earth
Supported observation and
experimentation
Helped further develop the
Scientific Method