CHAPTER 21.1THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

VOCABULARY

• Geocentric: Earth-centered view of the universe

• Heliocentric: Sun-centered view of the universe

• Philosopher: A person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment; a scholar or a thinker

CAUSES OF THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

• Increased need for careful observation and accurate measurements

• Invention of new instruments like the telescope and microscope

• Printing press allowed new ideas to spread quickly and easily

• Mathematics was seen as key to every scientific achievement

• A new way of thinking about the natural world becomes known as the Scientific Revolution

• Willingness to question beliefs

SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS

The Ptolemaic System

• A model of the universe that combined ideas of Aristotle, Christianity, and Ptolemy

• Geocentric

Copernicus and Kepler

• Copernicus published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies

• Determined that the universe is heliocentric

• Kepler builds on ideas of Copernicus

• Elliptical orbits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpSy0Lkm3zM

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“ Ptolemy is compared to a whimsical cook who, instead of turning his meat in roasting, should…contrive to have his whole fire, kitchen and all, whirling continually ‘round it.

Benjamin Franklin

SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS

Galileo’s Discoveries

• Builds own telescope in 1609 CE

• Observations and discoveries challenge those of old Greek philosophers

• Heavenly bodies (planets) made up of material substance, not pure light

• Published The Starry Messenger; many Europeans made aware of the universe

• Threatened by the Catholic Church to recant theories

NEWTON’S VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

• Isaac Newton is often called the greatest genius of the Scientific Revolution

• Published Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy or Principia

• In Principia, Newton defined three laws of motion

• Main idea is the universal law of gravitation: Explains that planetary bodies continue their elliptical orbits around the sun because every object in the universe is attracted to every other object by a force called gravity

BREAKTHROUGHS IN MEDICINE AND CHEMISTRY

Robert Boyle

• Proposed that matter was made up of smaller particles that joined together in different ways

Antoine Lavoisier

• Conservation of matter; “father of modern chemistry”

• First list of elements

• Devised the metric system

William Harvey

• Heart is the beginning point for blood circulation

PHILOSOPHY AND REASONDescartes

• Rene Descartes brought philosophical perspective to the natural sciences; separation of mind and matter

• Father of modern rationalism: system of thought based on the belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge

Francis Bacon and the Scientific Method

• Francis Bacon devised the Scientific Method: A systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence

• Scientists should proceed from the particular to the general—inductive reasoning

• “I think, therefore I am.”

• “We cannot doubt of our existence while we doubt.”

With your table partner, discuss what these quotations from Descartes mean

EXAMPLES OF INDUCTIVE REASONING

Example 1:

• Mr. Shipp used PowerPoint to teach on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Therefore, Mr. Shipp will use PowerPoint to teach on Thursday as well.

Example 2:

• Every fall there are hurricanes in the tropics.

Therefore, there will be hurricanes in the tropics this coming fall.

Example 3:

• Eight months ago I met a doctor from Prescott and he was friendly.

• Five months ago I met a car mechanic from Prescott and he was friendly.

• Last week I met a waitress from Prescott and she was friendly.

Therefore, people from Prescott must be friendly.