The Scientific Revolution saw major changes in the European worldview as scientists like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton challenged previously accepted theories. Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model with the Sun at the center, contradicting the geocentric Ptolemaic system. Galileo made many important discoveries with the telescope, including Jupiter's moons, and proved theories of Aristotle wrong through experimentation. Kepler developed his three laws of planetary motion based on observations. Finally, Newton formulated the law of universal gravitation and viewed the universe as a giant, perfectly engineered clockwork. These revolutionary ideas shifted perception away from Earth as the center of the universe.

1. The Scientific Revolution
42a - explain the scientific
contributions of Copernicus, Galileo,
Kepler and Newton and how these
ideas changed the European world
view

2. The Scientific Revolution
 The Scientific Revolution occurred at
the same time as the Renaissance
and Reformation in Europe.
 People began to challenge accepted
theories about the universe and
nature.

3. Turn to a neighbor…
 Discuss why people would begin questioning
these accepted theories.

4. Astronomy
 In the Middle Ages
people thought the
Earth was at the center
of the universe. (idea
came from Ptolemy &
Aristotle)
 According to this
theory, the sun, planets,
and moon all moved
around earth in circular
orbits.
 This is called the
geocentric model of the
universe.
(geo = earth; centric = center)

5. Stop and Think
 Why do you think this theory was accepted for so long?

6. Nicolaus Copernicus
 Polish astronomer
 Said geocentric
model didn’t explain
movements of the
sun, moon, and
planets.
 After studying this
problem for 30 years,
he proposed a new
model for the
universe – the
heliocentric model.

7. Nicolaus Copernicus
 In the heliocentric model,
the sun is in the center of
the universe. (helio = sun;
centric = center)
 This was the first new
model of the universe in
2000 years!!
 Copernicus’ work
angered religious leaders
in the Catholic and
Protestant churches.

8. Turn to a neighbor
 Discuss why the religious leaders were upset with
Copernicus.

9. Johannes Kepler
 His observations proved the
heliocentric model of the
universe was true.
Johannes Kepler

10. Johannes Kepler
 Kepler also proposed
three laws of planetary
motion based upon his
observations:
1. Planets move in elliptical
orbits around the sun.
2. Planets move more rapidly
as their orbits approach the
sun.
3. The time it takes a planet to
orbit the sun is proportional
to its distance from the sun.

11. Turn to a Neighbor
 Discuss how awesome Kepler’s contributions are to our
bank of knowledge today.

12. Scientific Method
 During the Scientific Revolution, people began to use the
scientific method.
 The scientific method is an organized way of solving
problems:
1.Observe nature and formulate a problem or
question.
2.Make a hypothesis (a guess about the answer to the
problem/question).
3.Design an experiment to test the hypothesis.
4.Analyze the data collected.
5.Draw a conclusion – the hypothesis will either be
proved true or false.

13. Stop and Think
 Which Greek philosopher contributed to the
development of the Scientific Method?

14. Galileo Galilei
 Galileo was an Italian math
professor who set out to prove
many of Aristotle’s theories about
nature wrong.
 Tested Aristotle’s ideas about
pendulums and found them wrong.
 Found objects accelerate at a
predictable and fixed rate
 Proved that heavy objects fall at the
same rate as lighter ones.
 Galileo made improvements to the
telescope and was one of the first
to improve it enough to use it to
observe the sky.

15. Galileo Galilei
 Galileo used the telescope to
study sunspots, the moon’s
surface, and Jupiter’s moons.
 The four moons of Jupiter that
Galileo discovered, Io,
Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa
are called the Galilean moons in
his honor.

16. Galileo’s Telescope

17. Galileo and the Catholic Church
 The church did not agree with Galileo’s
research. They wanted him to stop
working.
 Galileo refused to stop his research.
 Finally, when the church threatened to
torture Galileo, he signed a confession
stating that the heliocentric model was
heresy and therefore untrue.
 He was kept locked in his house until he
died (house arrest).

18. Turn to a Neighbor
 Discuss why Galileo’s contributions were so important.

19. Isaac Newton & the Law of Gravity
 Law of universal gravitation:
every object in the universe
attracts every other object
 Mathematical Principles of
Natural Philosophy: universe
was like a giant clock; all its
parts worked together
perfectly in ways that could
be expressed mathematically;
believed God was the creator
of this orderly universe (the
clockmaker)

20. Other Scientific Advancements
 Anatomy and Medicine
 Circulation of blood
 Tools
 Microscope
 Thermometer
 Barometer

21. Turn to a Neighbor
 Do you think gravity existed before Newton? If you said
yes, explain why people really didn’t think about it
before.