SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

(def) page 545

Scientists• challenged ALL accepted knowledge• believed something ONLY if it could be tested and

proven by experiments and observations• conduct experiments to reveal ALL THE LAWS of

nature.

The Scientific Revolution began in Europe during the late 1500s. It reached its peak in the 1600s.

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

1300 1400 1500 1600 1700

1. The Greeks (mainly Aristotle) used reason to figure out scientific explanations.

ex. the geocentric theory of the universe since the sun rose and fell each day, it

must be circling the earth

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

BUT THEY NEVER RAN EXPERIMENTS!

2. By the late Middle Ages, European scholars had translated many Muslim works of ancient scientific knowledge and compiled them in Universities

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

BUT THEY NEVER RAN EXPERIMENTS!

3. Renaissance humanists (like Leonardo da Vinci) explored new ideas in every field.

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

BUT THEY NEVER RAN EXPERIMENTS!

4. Reformation leaders (like Martin Luther) discarded traditional ideas that the church is always right.

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

5. The Age of ExplorationColumbus had a theory: If I sail west, I should land in AsiaIn 1492, Columbus ran an experiment to test his theory.

He was dead wrong: There were 2 continents that Europeans did not know about. (North and South America)

This made scientists throw “accepted ideas” out the window. From then on, scientists question EVERYTHING.

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

Ptolemy

• was an ancient Greek astronomer

• Everybody believed what he said, including the Catholic church

1. Earth is the center of the universe

2. Sun and planets revolve around the Earth

*The Scientific Revolution proved him wrong!!

Copernicus

Polish Astronomer “Father of Modern Astronomy”

1. Sun is the center of the universe2. Earth and other planets revolve

around the sun

People did not believe it: If earth is in motion, then objects should fly off into the universe.

Using the telescope, he found evidence to support the heliocentric theory

Myth: Sun and planets revolve around the Earth (Geocentric)

Truth: Earth and planets revolve around Sun (Heliocentric)

“Father of Modern Experimental

Science”

Galileo

Johann Kepler

German Mathematician

Using math calculations, he explained Copernicus was right:

• The Earth and other planets could revolved around the sun – but they did so in an

elliptical orbit (oval, not a circle)

Kepler’s math proved that the universe operates according to regular laws

Isaac Newton

English Mathematician

The Law of Universal Gravitation – every object attract every other object.

New inventions!

Magnifies things at a distance

Used in Astronomy

Allowed Galileo to observe the planets revolving

New inventions!Magnifies small objects

Used in biology and medicine

Allowed for the discovery of plant cells

Measures temperature

New inventions!

Measures atmospheric pressure

When it drops significantly, bad weather is coming.

New inventions!

Sir Francis Bacon

“Father of the Scientific Method”

Scientists should conduct experiments, observe the outcome, gather information, and then draw conclusions (called empiricism)

Rene Descartes (“day cart”)

“Father of Modern Philosophy”

Scientists should doubt everything

Scientists must behave like mathematicians to find answer.

“I think, therefore I am.”

The Scientific Method

1.State your theory

2.Run an experiment

3.Observe the

experiment

4.Record the results

5.Make general

statements

6.Draw Conclusions

The “accepted knowledge”

To test your theory

Don’t rely on the human eye. Use scientific instruments

Using math calculations

Use math to test your logic

Is the theory true?