The Scientific Revolution

Francis Bacon

An English philosopher and politician. He was an important scientific thinker and the creator of the theory of empiricism.

Hypothesis

A testable, possible explanation for a scientific problem

Robert Boyle

An Irish chemist who helped push chemistry in a more scientific direction, differentiating it from alchemy.

How did scientific revolution change the way Europeans understood the natural world?

Before the scientific revolution, people relied on the writings of ancient philosophers and religious explanations to understand natural phenomena. The scientific revolution resulted in a new way of thinking based on observation and logic.

In what way was Nicolaus Copernicus's theory revolutionary?

Copernicus suggested that the Earth orbited the sun. This was a revolutionary concept because it challenged the accepted idea that the Earth was at the center of the universe.

What factors contributed to Europe being the site of the scientific revolution?

Europeans had been studying the works of Islamic and classical European thinkers since the Renaissance. Europe was also home to free and independent universities that allowed scientists to conduct radical experiments without interference from political or religious authorities.

Rene Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

Why did the Roman Catholic Church feel Galileo's discoveries were heresy?

Galileo believed that the sun was the center of the universe. The church held that the Earth was at the center of the universe because such a location confirmed the Earth's special place in the natural world.

What philosophy did Robert Boyle use in his studies of gas? What aspect of the scientific revolution especially influenced him?

He believed in a "mechanical philosophy"; the idea that everything could be explained by mechanical motion. He believed especially in the scientific method, which he used in his experiments .

What idea did Francis Bacon promote?

He championed the scientific method, which required experimentation and proof to determine whether hypotheses were correct.

What was Rene Descartes's major contribution to the scientific revolution?

He founded modern philosophy based on the idea that reasoning was the basis of all knowledge.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish astronomer who proposed a heliocentric model of the universe

Isaac Newton

The British mathematician and physicist who developed the theory of gravity, which he published in the book Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

Galileo Galilei

The Italian astronomer who defended and expanded on Copernicus's teachings that the sun is the center of the solar system.

Scientific Method

The process of developing a hypothesis about the natural world, recording evidence and drawing rational conclusions from the findings.

How did Isaac Newton's basic laws of motion affect physics and astronomy?

Using mathematics, Newton deduced the three laws of motion. This allowed him to explain natural phenomena such as gravity, the ocean's tides, and the orbits of celestial bodies.

Francis Bacon

developed the scientific method