The Scientific Revolution

Revolutionary Astronomers

Causes of the Scientific Revolution  The Scientific Revolution was a time period in which Europeans made major scientific and technological advancements.  There are may reasons for the Scientific Revolution: Renaissance created a spirit of curiosity & rebellion against authority Humanism promoted scientific inquiry The power of the Church & its views were weakened due to the Reformation OLD IDEAS: Geocentric Theory: The earth was an immovable object & the universe revolved around the Earth Geocentric theory dated back to Greeks, about 500 BCE Church supported geocentric theory

The Geocentric Universe

A New Way of Thinking  Beginning around 1550, European Scholars began publishing works that questioned traditional scientific beliefs  Invention of the printing press & better methods of travel spread new ideas rapidly  Heliocentric Theory:  Nicolaus Copernicus argued that geocentric theory was not backed by scientific proof  Reasoned that the celestial bodies (planets & stars) revolved around the Sun, not the Earth  Johannes Kepler using Copernicus & Brahe theories developed the idea that the celestial bodies revolve in an elliptical orbit & mathematically proves Copernicus’ theories  Galileo Galilei develops the telescope & validates Copernicus’ & Kepler’s ideas

The Heliocentric Universe

Galileo’s Telescope

Scientific Method  The Scientific Method is the logical procedure for gathering & questioning data  Steps in the Method:  Begin with a problem or question  Form a hypothesis, or an unproved assumption  Test hypothesis using an experiment, observing & collecting data  Using observations & collected data, analyze & interpret date to validate or create a new conclusion  The People Behind the Scientific Method:  Francis Bacon: English philosopher who said that scientists should not rely too heavily on Greek & Roman ideas but create new ones based on experimentation  Rene Descartes: French philosopher who believed that knowledge comes from questioning, observing, & using reason to deduce a new “truth”  said that everything should be doubted  Only truth is that “ I exist”

Creators of the Scientific Method

Newton’s New Law  Mid 1600s, Isaac Newton studying mathematics & physics at Cambridge University  Studied the theories of Copernicus, Kepler, & Galileo  Determined that all objects were acted upon by the same forces  Created the Law of Universal Gravitation  Every object in the universe attracts every other object  The degree of attraction is dependent on the mass of the object  Publishes The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy  Describes the universe as a giant clock whose parts all work together perfectly in ways that can be expressed thru mathematics

Isaac Newton

Scientific Revolution Spreads  Biological & Anatomical Advancements:  Zacharias Janssen invents the first microscope  Anton van Leeuwenhoek uses Janssen’s microscope to observe microscopic organisms (bacteria) living in tooth scrapings/first to examine red blood cells  Andreas Vesalius:  published first comprehensive study on human anatomy (7 volumes) On the Fabric of the Human Body  proved the theory that all mammalian anatomy was similar  William Harvey  Diagrams and explains the circulatory system  Determines that the heart is the blood-moving organ  Edward Jenner introduces first vaccine to prevent a disease (Small Pox) using a live culture from the “cow pox” virus

Andreas Vesalius’ Drawings

Scientific Revolution Spreads  Advancements in Physics:  Evangelista Torricelli develops first barometer to measure atmospheric pressure  Gabriel Fahrenheit develops temperature scale where water freezes at 32° /boils at 212 °  Anders Celsius creates another temperature scale setting freezing point at 0°/boils at 100 °  Chemistry Advances:  Robert Boyle  challenges Aristotle's idea that all things are composed of only four elements/  proposes that matter was made up of smaller primary particles  Development of Boyle’s Law that explains how volume, temperature, & pressure affect each other  Joseph Priestly discovers the element Oxygen  Antoine Lavoisier  Names the element Oxygen  Establishes the Law on the Conservation of Matter – matter can be neither created or destroyed, can only change states.