The Scientific Revolution turned conventional wisdom about the universe on its head. Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model where the Earth and planets orbit the sun, challenging the geocentric view of Aristotle and Ptolemy supported by the Church. Galileo Galilei's observations of Jupiter's moons and innovations with the telescope provided evidence supporting Copernicus. Isaac Newton later developed the law of gravity and calculus, demonstrating through mathematics that a single force of gravity explains planetary motion. This established the scientific method of testing hypotheses through measurable evidence and experimentation.

1. Scientific Revolution
Turning the Universe On Its Head

2. Objectives
❖ Students will explain how new discoveries in astronomy
changed the way people viewed the universe.
❖ Students will analyze the changes in European thought and
culture resulting from the Renaissance.

3. Vocabulary
❖ heliocentric: based on the belief that the sun is the center of the
universe.
❖ scientific method: careful, step-by-step process used to confirm
findings and confirm findings and to prove or disprove a hypothesis.
❖ hypothesis: an unproved theory accepted for the purposes of
explaining certain facts or to proved a basis for further
investigation.
❖ gravity: force that pulls objects in Earth's sphere to the center of
the Earth.
❖ calculus: a branch of mathematics in which calculations are made
using special symbolic notations; developed by Isaac Newton

4. Challenge to Conventional
Wisdom: Ptolemy
❖ Greek scientists and philosophers had influenced scientific
thought for over 1000 years
❖ Aristotle and Ptolemy - the earth was the center of the
universe
❖ Church supported this idea
❖ Renaissance and Reformation -
challenge to the church
❖ New challenges arise

5. Nicolaus Copernicus
❖ Polish scientist who proposed a new view of the
universe
❖ Earth orbited the Sun - not other way around;
heliocentric model
❖ Massively radical - if this were true, what other
assumptions about the world and the universe
were wrong?
❖ Tycho Brahe - provided evidence that supported
Copernicus’ finding
❖ Astronomical observatory - watched
movement of heavenly bodies

6. Galileo Galilei
❖ Italian scholar who assembled an astronomical telescope
❖ Observed moons of Jupiter; moved at different speed around
the planet
❖Proved that Copernicus’ observations were true; about the
Earth as well
❖ Uproar in the Christian world -
challenged idea that Earth was
‘perfect’ and center of the
universe
❖ Charged with heresy and
threatened with death to
change his views

7. Bacon and Descartes
❖ Examination of how truth is determined by
Francis Bacon and René Descartes
❖ Reject assumptions of Aristotle and wanted
to find a mechanism for how best to come to
truth
❖ Questions and search for answers to those
questions through systematic examination
of what is true and not true
❖ “I think, therefore I am”

8. Scientific Method
❖ Step-by-step process of discovery
❖ Collection of data and evidence that is measurable
❖ To explain data, form a hypothesis
❖ Test and retest these assumptions
❖ Use mathematical calculations to quantify information
and finally form an expression of understanding to
establish scientific laws

9. Isaac Newton
❖ Developed a theory to explain the way that
planets moved
❖ Used mathematics, demonstrated how a single
force keeps the planets in their orbits around
the sun - gravity
❖ Published a book explaining the law of gravity
and other workings of the universe
❖ Nature has rules and follows them
❖ All motion in the universe can be measured
and described through mathematics
❖ Newton developed calculus to be able to
do this