Download Topic 1.5 Study Guide (The Scientific Revolution)

Topic 1.5 Study Guide (The Scientific Revolution)
1. In the 1500-1700s, the Scientific Revolution and its many discoveries drastically changed the
way Europeans viewed the physical world.
2. Until the mid-1500s, Europeans accepted the geocentric view that the Earth was the center of
the universe and the sun and stars revolved around it. This view made sense and followed the
teachings of the Church.
3. But then in 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric, or sun-centered, model of
the solar system. His theory was rejected. Some were afraid if true then all knowledge might be
called into question.
4. Careful nightly observations for years by Tycho Brahe supported Copernicus. Johannes Kepler
used Brahe’s data to calculate the orbits of the planets. Kepler found that the planets don’t move
in perfect circles as earlier believed but in an oval-shaped orbit called an ellipse.
5. In Italy, Galileo built a telescope and observed several moons in orbit around Jupiter and
mountains on the moon. He said these movements were the same as those of planets around
the sun. This contradicted Church doctrine that the Earth was the center of the universe. He was
then tried for heresy and forced to take back his theories before the Inquisition. When leaving he
mutters: “And yet it moves.”
6. Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes challenged traditional beliefs. They argued that truth is not
known at the beginning of the inquiry but at the end, after a long process of investigation. Bacon
stressed observation and experimentation. Descartes emphasized human reasoning. “I think,
therefore I am.” They are known as two of the fathers of the Scientific Method.
7. The Scientific Method requires the collection of accurate data and the proposal of a logical
hypothesis to be tested.
8. There were also breakthroughs in medicine and chemistry with new surgical techniques and
tools, the creation of artificial limbs, and ointments to prevent infection. Studying the circulation
of blood showed that the heart is a pump. Also better microscopes allow one to see cells and
microorganisms.
9. In the 1600s, English chemist Robert Boyle explained that all matter is composed of tiny
particles that behave in knowable ways. He also defined the difference between individual
elements and compounds and explained the effect of temperature and pressure on gases.
10. Isaac Newton linked science and mathematics. He wondered if the force that pulled an apple
to Earth also controlled the movements of the planets. He called this force gravity. He
contributed to the development of calculus, a branch of mathematics, to help explain his laws.