The Scientific Revolution

Discoveries and Inventions

-Columbus sailed west using a map drawn Ptolemy -When Columbus reached North America instead of Asia it stunned Europeans because observation of the real world has disproved the teachings of an ancient authority. -Scholars would begin to question the accuracy of other authorities.

Roots of the Revolution

-Many scientific ideas were expressed in ancient times. -Greek thinkers like Aristotle and Ptolemy wrote about astronomy geography, and logic. -They were rationalist, people who looked at the world in a rational, or reasonable and logical way.

Roots of the Revolution

-Muslims translated works by Greek thinkers into Arabic. Arabic writings were later translated into Latin. -This allowed Europeans to study past rational thought.

Sir Isaac Newton

-Published Principia Mathematica -Lays the foundation for most of classical mechanics -Newton described universal gravitation and the 3 laws of motion -Showed that motions of same set of natural laws, by demonstrating Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation -Principia is generally considered to be one of the most important scientific books ever written

Understanding Science

-Science comes from the word "understanding" or "knowledge" -Science starts with observations, then scientists use logic to identify and explain the facts they have uncovered. -The explanations scientists develop to explain observed facts are called theories.

Understanding Science pt. 2

-Scientists design experiments to test whether their theories are correct. -Scientific knowledge is based on observations, facts, and logical ideas, or theories about them. -This method of gaining knowledge was uncommon before the Scientific Method.

Main Ideas

-The Scientific Revolution marked the birth of modern science. -Discoveries and inventions helped scientists study the natural world. -The Scientific Revolution had broad effects on society, changing ideas about the physical world, human behavior, and religion.

Roots of the Revolution

-The growth of Humanism during the Renaissance helped bring about the Scientific Revolution. -Humanist artists and writers encouraged study of the natural world. -Alchemy became popular. -Experiments involving turning common metals into gold.

New Inventions

1590- Zacharias Jansen: Dutch lens maker invented simple microscope 1593- Galilieo invents the thermometer 1643-Evangelista Torricelli: Italian scientist invents the barometer which measures air pressure

Newton's 3 laws of Motion

1st law: A body in motion stays in motions until acted upon. A body at rest stays at rest until acted upon. 2nd Law: Force = mass (acceleration) 3rd Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Effects on Society

Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes encouraged the use of orderly experiments and clear reasoning. Ideas helped shape the scientific method which are the main principles of modern science. Scientific method; step-by-step process for performing experiments and other scientific research.

Advances in Astronomy

Galileo Galilei- Italian scientist who was the first person to study the sky with a telescope. Discovered mountains and craters on the moon. Studied how falling objects behave.

Advances in Astronomy

Nicolaus Copernicus- Polish astronomer who wrote On the Revolution of the Celestial Sphere. -Stated that the planets moved around the sun in a circular orbit but never proved his theory. -Inspired fresh thinking about astronomy.

The Birth of Modern Science

Scientific Revolution: Series of events that led to the birth of Modern Science. Occurred in Europe b/w about 1540 and 1700. People began to study the world around them and use logic to explain what they saw.

Effects on Society

The church feared that science would lead people to doubt key elements of their faith. Catholic leaders tried to force scientists to reject any findings that contradicted church teachings. Galileo was faced with torture unless he accepted the church's belief that the earth did not move

Advances in Astronomy

Tycho Brahe- From Denmark. Charted more than 750 stars. Assisted by Kepler. Johannes Kepler- Tried to map the orbits of planets but realized that they moved in elliptical orbits instead of in a circle.