The Scientific Revolution

Revolutionary Astronomers

Causes of the Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Revolution was a time period in which Europeans made major scientific and technological advancements.

There are may reasons for the Scientific Revolution:

• Renaissance created a spirit of curiosity & rebellion against authority

• Humanism promoted scientific inquiry

• The power of the Church & its views were weakened due to the Reformation

• OLD IDEAS:

• Geocentric Theory: The earth was an immovable object & the universe revolved around the Earth

• Geocentric theory dated back to Greeks, about 500 BCE

• Church supported geocentric theory

The Geocentric Universe

A New Way of Thinking

Beginning around 1550, European Scholars began publishing works

that questioned traditional scientific beliefs

Invention of the printing press & better methods of travel spread new

ideas rapidly

Heliocentric Theory:

Nicolaus Copernicus argued that geocentric theory was not backed by

scientific proof

Reasoned that the celestial bodies (planets & stars) revolved around

the Sun, not the Earth

Johannes Kepler using Copernicus & Brahe theories developed the

idea that the celestial bodies revolve in an elliptical orbit &

mathematically proves Copernicus’ theories

Galileo Galilei develops the telescope & validates Copernicus’ &

Kepler’s ideas

The Heliocentric Universe

Galileo’s Telescope

Scientific Method The Scientific Method is the logical procedure for gathering & questioning

data

Steps in the Method:

Begin with a problem or question

Form a hypothesis, or an unproved assumption

Test hypothesis using an experiment, observing & collecting data

Using observations & collected data, analyze & interpret date to validate or create a new conclusion

The People Behind the Scientific Method:

Francis Bacon: English philosopher who said that scientists should not rely too heavily on Greek & Roman ideas but create new ones based on experimentation

Rene Descartes: French philosopher who believed that knowledge comes from questioning, observing, & using reason to deduce a new “truth”

said that everything should be doubted

Only truth is that “ I exist”

Creators of the Scientific Method

Newton’s New Law

Mid 1600s, Isaac Newton studying mathematics & physics

at Cambridge University

Studied the theories of Copernicus, Kepler, & Galileo

Determined that all objects were acted upon by the same forces

Created the Law of Universal Gravitation

Every object in the universe attracts every other object

The degree of attraction is dependent on the mass of the object

Publishes The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Describes the universe as a giant clock whose parts all work

together perfectly in ways that can be expressed thru

mathematics

Isaac Newton

Scientific Revolution Spreads Biological & Anatomical Advancements:

Zacharias Janssen invents the first microscope

Anton van Leeuwenhoek uses Janssen’s microscope to observe

microscopic organisms (bacteria) living in tooth scrapings/first to

examine red blood cells

Andreas Vesalius:

published first comprehensive study on human anatomy (7

volumes) On the Fabric of the Human Body

proved the theory that all mammalian anatomy was similar

William Harvey

Diagrams and explains the circulatory system

Determines that the heart is the blood-moving organ

Edward Jenner introduces first vaccine to prevent a disease

(Small Pox) using a live culture from the “cow pox” virus

Andreas Vesalius’ Drawings

Scientific Revolution Spreads Advancements in Physics:

Evangelista Torricelli develops first barometer to measure atmospheric pressure

Gabriel Fahrenheit develops temperature scale where water freezes at 32° /boils at

212 °

Anders Celsius creates another temperature scale setting freezing point at 0°/boils

at 100 °

Chemistry Advances:

Robert Boyle

challenges Aristotle's idea that all things are composed of only four elements/

proposes that matter was made up of smaller primary particles

Development of Boyle’s Law that explains how volume, temperature, &

pressure affect each other

Joseph Priestly discovers the element Oxygen

Antoine Lavoisier

Names the element Oxygen

Establishes the Law on the Conservation of Matter – matter can be neither

created or destroyed, can only change states.