Ancient Greek Science

Five Greek contributions to the modern scientific method 1.They tried to understand nature without relying on supernatural explanations.

Five Greek contributions to the modern scientific method 1.They tried to understand nature without relying on supernatural explanations. 2.They started a tradition of debating and challenging each others ideas.

Five Greek contributions to the modern scientific method 1.They tried to understand nature without relying on supernatural explanations. 2.They started a tradition of debating and challenging each others ideas. 3.They used mathematics to state their ideas with precision.

Five Greek contributions to the modern scientific method 1.They tried to understand nature without relying on supernatural explanations. 2.They started a tradition of debating and challenging each others ideas. 3.They used mathematics to state their ideas with precision. 4.They recognized that an explanation had to agree with observed facts.

Five Greek contributions to the modern scientific method 1.They tried to understand nature without relying on supernatural explanations. 2.They started a tradition of debating and challenging each others ideas. 3.They used mathematics to state their ideas with precision. 4.They recognized that an explanation had to agree with observed facts. 5.They constructed MODELS of natural phenomena.

Tutor of Alexander the Great Timeline of Greek contributions to astronomy

Which of these was NOT a contribution of the ancient Greeks? A.Use of only natural explanations. B.Basing hypotheses on careful observations C.Thoroughly testing hypotheses D.Building models to explain natural phenomena

Aristotle had a huge influence on Alexander (Later called Alexander the Great)

Alexander went on to conquer much of the Middle East Alexandria

He established a great library in Alexandria, Egypt They collected books from all over the known world.

In 415 AD Hypatia, a philosopher and astronomer, was murdered during a time of struggle between the Prefect and the Bishop of Alexandria. The political struggles in the city led to the final destruction of the library. Most of the books were lost.

The scholarly slack was picked up by the Islamic world with the founding of the “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad in the 9 th century Engaging Christians and Jews as well as Muslims, the House of Wisdom not only collected knowledge from all over the world, they also developed algebra and new instruments for astronomical observation. Many of our modern star names come from Arabic: e.g., Deneb, Aldebaran, Alpheratz

The accumulated knowledge of the Islamic world spread throughout the Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire lasted until 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Turks At that point many eastern scholars moved west into Europe, bringing their knowledge with them, and helping to spark the European Renaissance

Put the following events in date order from earliest to latest 1) Library at Alexandria established 2) House of Wisdom in Baghdad established 3) Aristotle tutors Alexander the Great 4) Constantinople fell to the Turks A) 1, 2, 3, 4D) 3, 1, 2, 4 B) 3, 2, 1, 4E) 2, 1, 4, 3 C) 4, 1, 2, 3

Plato argued that, since the heavens are perfect, all heavenly bodies must move in circles (the only perfect shape) Therefore they must reside on crystalline spheres

The Spheres of Eudoxus (Each planet has a set of 4 such spheres)

Eratosthenes noticed that on the summer solstice, the Sun passed directly overhead in Syene. (A vertical stick cast no shadow.) On the same day in Alexandria, a vertical stick cast a 7º shadow. He knew the distance from Syene to Alexandria. He also knew that there are 360º in a full circle. He reasoned that the distance from Syene to Alexandria was 7/360 of the full circumference of the Earth. His calculated value was within 5% of the actual value.

Apollonius introduced a model wherein the planets moved on small circles that in turn moved around Earth in large circles. Hipparchus refined the model – and added complications to increase accuracy. Later, Ptolemy synthesized and published these earlier ideas, allowing the positions of planets to be forecast to an accuracy of a few degrees. This was good enough that his model was used for the next 1500 years. Epicycle Deferent

Astro-Cash Cab! Tabitha Richardson Merlin Ginther Pauline Luhman Mariah Mondragon Alex Adams

1) Put the following events in date order from earliest to latest House of Wisdom in Baghdad established Thales proposed the first known model of the universe that did not depend on supernatural forces Constantinople fell to the Turks Library at Alexandria established

2) Who made the first reasonably accurate measurement of the size of the Earth? Eratosthenes Aristotle Ptolemy Democritus Apollonius

3) True or False? A model has to be physically true (i.e., real) in order to make good predictions.

4) What do we call the motion the planet displays at the indicated point?