The Scientific Revolution

Causes of the Scientific Revolution
 Trade and expansion of trade (navigational
problems encouraged research; knowledge
gained from Arabs)
 Medieval universities
 Renaissance humanism
 Increased value of mathematics due to trade
(banking and measurements) and research
Old Views of Science
 Geocentric theory-
the idea that the
earth was the center
of the universe.
 Church teachings
supported the idea
and made it official
church doctrine.
New Views of Science
 Arab science began to influence European thought. How
did ideas spread to Europe from the Arab world?
 In the mid 1500’s, legitimate challenges were raised
regarding conventional scientific wisdom.
 New ideas and procedures were called the Scientific
Revolution.
The Scientific Method
 What is the scientific method?
1. Identifying the problem.
2. Form a testable hypothesis.
3. Conducting relevant
experiments to the hypothesis.
4. Recording of experiment data.
5. Analysis of experiment in
relation to hypothesis.
Francis Bacon & Rene Descartes
EXPERIMENT!!!
REASON!!!
Descartes (1596-1650)
Father of
Modern
Philosophy
• Descartes believed that there were sciences of the world (physical
sciences) and sciences of reason and belief (philosophy).
• Descartes wrote Meditations, (1647) which asked essential questions
about life. What would you consider to be “essential questions” about
life?
• Descartes questioned whether or not the world he lived in existed and
what he could actually know about it.
• He questioned everything and began building his knowledge through
reason. What do you believe reason means?
Bacon (1561-1626)
• Sir Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and scientist.
• He wrote in 1620 that the only true method of knowing was through
experimentation.
• Bacon’s definition of experimentation involved observing, measuring,
explaining and verifying.
• Bacon believed that routine and habit created good direction for the
human will and that proper experimentation could teach one about the
truths of the world.
• Francis Bacon may have died as a result of his own experimentation.
Comparing Descartes & Bacon
 According to Descartes, which method is best used to
reach true knowledge?
 According to Bacon, which method is best used to reach
true knowledge?
 Who influenced the development of the scientific
method?
 Descartes & Bacon were part of which 17th historical
movement?
Discoveries in Astronomy, Physics, &
Math
 Nicolaus Copernicus- Discovers that earth
couldn’t be the center of the universe based
on the movement of the earth, moon, and
planets.
 Heliocentric Theory- discovery that the
earth, and other planets, revolve around the
sun.
 Copernicus developed this theory through
detailed mathematical explanation. How
might you explain something using math?
Tycho Brahe & Johannes Kepler
 Brahe- develops the term “supernova” to
describe the idea of an exploding star.
A new,
bright object appeared in the sky above Denmark leading
to Brahe’s conclusion.
 Brahe & Kepler began working together to
measure aspects of the solar system.
 After Brahe’s death, Kepler concludes that
planets do not move in a circle, instead, they
revolve in an oval pattern, or ellipse.
Illustration of Kepler’s Oval Pattern s
Galileo Galilei
 Galileo was an Italian scientist.
 He built the first telescope designed for
astronomy in 1609.
 Galileo was the first person to observe and
record Jupiter, sunspots, moon craters, & the
moons of Jupiter. (There are 64 moons of
Jupiter.)
 Discovered that the Milky Way is made up of
stars.
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
 Newton added to the Scientific Revolution by
expanding the idea of gravity to a universal
principle.
 Newton combined the studies of astronomy,
physics, & mathematics to create calculus.
 Newton discovered, through mathematical
equation, that all planets are impacted by
gravity.
 People still doubted the heliocentric theory,
but with Newton’s measurements, he proved
that gravity held all planets in orbit.
Three Fundamental Laws of
Newtonian Physics
 First law: Things in motion wish to remain in motion.
They will do so until acted upon by an outside force.
What causes something to stop?
 Second law: If something is accelerating, then there is
a force acting upon it. What causes acceleration?
 Third law: For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction. Can anyone provide an example of
this law?

Identify your Scientific Revolutionary
Thinkers!
READ THE FOLLOWING PROPMTS TO IDENTIFY EACH THINKER OF
THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
1. “I was the first human being to ever see Jupiter and its moons.
I even invented the device that made it possible. Who am I?”
2. “People always told me that the earth was the center of the
universe. I never was too keen on that thinking. How do they
know? I did the math and concluded that the planets revolve
around the sun. I called this idea the heliocentric theory.
Who am I?”
3. “I worked with a partner to measure the solar system. After
his passing, I was able to conclude that the planets did not
orbit in a circular fashion but in an oval pattern. Do you know
who I am?”
4. Write your own “Who am I?” prompt for Isaac Newton.
Biology & Chemistry
 Scientist applied the advancements of
astronomy and investigation to the fields of
biology and chemistry. What is biology? What
is chemistry?
Andreas Vesalius
 Vesalius made leaps in understanding human
anatomy.
 Vesalius worked at the University of Padua in
Italy.
 Vesalius’ work was recognized by a judge
who allowed him to dissect the bodies of
executed criminals.
 Vesalius hired artists to portray his
dissections in great detail.
 Look on page 173. What book did Vesalius
publish?
William Harvey
 Following Vesalius, physician William Harvey
Physician of
James I
worked to explain the human heart.
 Harvey was able to describe how the
circulatory system and blood functioned in
the body.
Antony van Leeuwenhoek
 Developed a magnifying glass to invent
the microscope.
 He was the first person to describe the
appearance of bacteria, red blood cells,
yeast, and microorganisms.
Robert Hooke
 English physicist who analyzed plants under a
microscope.
 He coined the term “cell.”
Chemistry
Robert Boyle
 First scientist to define an element.
 Described matter as clusters of tiny particles.
 Matter changes when these clusters are
rearranged. For example, when water freezes
its particles realign.
 Boyle’s Law illustrates how gases are affected
by temperature, pressure, and volume.
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier
 Chemist who developed a system of precise
measurement.
Father of
Modern
Chemistry
Lavoisier is
executed
during the
French
Revolution for
treason and
exonerated a
year later.
Oops!
 Conservation of Mass – A law stating that
within a closed system, no matter will be
destroyed or created. All matter that exists
will continue to exist. Are there processes on
earth that prove this idea?
 Lavoisier recognized and named oxygen,
introduced the metric system, and invented
the first periodic table.
Science & Society: the Catholic
Church
 Tensions began to rise
between new advancements
in science and the doctrine
of the Roman Catholic
Church.
 The Roman Catholic Church
had taken definitive stances
on geocentric theory and
their power in European
society came into doubt.
 Certain church officials
feared reason and
experiment as enemies of
the church.
The Trial of Galileo
 The church warned against Galileo’s use of
Copernican theory is his science. What idea
of Copernicus was directly at odds with church
doctrine?
 Galileo continued his studies and published
Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems
that supported Copernicus’ heliocentric
theory. What was the heliocentric theory?
 In April 1633, Galileo stood in front of the
Inquisition for his scientific ideas.
 The pope ordered Galileo to house arrest
near Florence where he spent the remainder
of his life.
Science & Art
 Artists
combined
advancements
in human
anatomy and
chemistry to
develop
lasting works
of art.
Effects of the Scientific Revolution
 Ushers in the modern world; new way of looking
at the world
 Widens the intellectual gap between the rich
and the poor
 Has little immediate impact on the peasantry
 Technology: navigation, artillery, maps, etc.
 Advances in artillery leads in part to European
colonialism and ultimate dominance