The Scientific Revolution

Chapter 6 Section 1

Before 1500To determine what was true/false people turned to ancient Greek/Roman authors or the Bible.

Geocentric TheoryEarth-centered

view of the universeEarth was an immovable objectEverything else moved around the Earth

AristotleGreek philosopher of the 4th century BCDeveloped the Geocentric Theory

PtolemyGreek astronomer of the 2nd century ADExpanded the geocentric theory which was also supported by Christianity

Scientific Revolution

A new way of thinking about the natural world based on natural observation and willingness to question accepted beliefsMid 1500sChallenged the ideas of the ancient thinkers and the churchReplaced old assumptions with new theories

CausesRenaissanceExplorationPrinting Press

Heliocentric TheorySun-centered theoryEverything revolved around the sunPublished in 1543

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish cleric and astronomerStudied planetary movements for 25 yearsReintroduced an old Greek idea that the sun was the center of the universe

Tycho BraheDanish astronomerStudied the movements of planets for yearsCollected lots of data that had to be mathematically interpreted upon his death

Johannes KeplerBrahe’s assistant and mathematicianDeveloped mathematical laws governing planetary motionPlanets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits vs. circles

Galileo GalileiItalian ScientistBuilt his own telescope to study the planets in 1609Stood trial before the pope during the Inquisition1992 Catholic Church finally agreed that he was right

Galileo Galilei’s Ideas

Jupiter had 4 moonsSun had dark spotsEarth’s moon had a rough, uneven surfaceHis theories and laws of motion supported Copernicus rather than Aristotle

Scientific MethodLogical procedure for gathering and testing ideas

Francis BaconImportant thinker of the 1600sEnglish statesman and writerCo-developer of Scientific Method

Rene DescartesFrench mathematicianDeveloped analytical geometry Everything should be doubted until its proven“I think, therefore I am”

Isaac NewtonEnglish scientistTheory of motionLaw of universal gravitationThe Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy 1687

Zacharias JanssenDutch inventorThe first microscope

Anton van Leuwenhoek

Used a microscope to observe bacteria swimming in tooth scrapingsAlso examined red blood cells for the 1st time

Evangelista TorricelliInvented the 1st mercury barometer

A tool for measuring atmospheric pressure and predicting weather

Gabriel FahrenheitGerman physicistMade the 1st thermometer to use mercury in glassWater freezing at 32 degrees

GalenAncient Greek physicianHis ideas were accepted as factHe studied the bodies of animals and assumed humans were the same

Andreas VesaliusFlemish physicianProved Galen’s assumptions wrongDissected human corpses and published his observationsDetailed drawings

Edward JennerBritish physician of the late 1700sVaccine to prevent smallpoxHe used cowpox to inoculate for smallpox in humans

Robert BoylePioneered use of scientific method in chemistryFather of modern chemistryMatterBoyle’s Law

Volume, temperature, pressure of gas

Anders CelciusSwedish astronomerCreated another scale for the mercury thermometer showing water freezing at 0 degrees