Scientific Revolution

Question 1

Scientific Revolution

Answer 1

A surge of new scientific theories that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries. Intellectuals began to study, and possibly discard, ancient mathematicians’ ideas. Using them, new ideas were developed that changed the way people thought.

Question 2

Geocentric Model

Answer 2

Ptolemy was an astronomer during the ADE 100s. Using his theories, philosophers created a model of the universe that is considered to be geocentric. This is because it puts Earth at the center of the universe. This model was later named the Ptolemaic system.

Question 3

Ptolemy and Aristotle

Answer 3

The philosophers who created the Ptolemaic system combined Ptolemy’s ideas with those of Aristotle. This was not uncommon, as many medical scientists relied on Aristotle for their theories to be proven correct.

Question 4

Heliocentric Model

Answer 4

The idea that the sun was the center of the universe.

Question 5

Copernicus

Answer 5

In 1543. Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish writer, published his book On The Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. He was a mathematician and believed that his findings of a Heliocentric universe made more sense than the Ptolemaic System. Copernicus believed that the planets revolved around the center of the universe, the sun, but the moon revolved around the Earth. He was also able to explain the apparent “rotation of the sun around the Earth”

Question 6

Kepler

Answer 6

Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician who completed the process of destroying the idea of a Geocentric universe which was started by Copernicus. Kepler used astronomy to create his laws of planetary motion. In these laws, he confirmed the sun was the universe’s center, and also proved that the motion the planet’s revolved around the sun in was actually elliptical (egg-shaped), not circular. This is known as Kepler’s First Law and contradicted many of Ptolemy’s findings.

Question 7

Galileo

Answer 7

Galileo was the first European to make observations of the universe using a telescope. Ptolemy had depicted heavenly bodies as pure orbs of light, but after Galileo’s findings, they now appeared to be made up of material substance. He published his findings in a book in 1610, which was named The Starry Messenger. However, the Catholic Church ordered Galileo to abandon the Copernican idea, because it compromised the Church’s entire world view.

Question 8

Isaac Newton

Answer 8

An Englishman who was the one to tie the findings of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo together. He wrote Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (usually shortened to the Principia) . In this, he defined the three laws of motion that govern planetary movement. Critical to all three laws was the universal law of gravitation. His ideas would take over the way humans viewed the world until the 20th century.

Question 9

Universal Law of Gravitation

Answer 9

Critical to Newton’s three laws of motion. This law tells people why the planets continue to revolve around the sun elliptically. It explains all motion in the universe.

Question 10

Harvey

Answer 10

William Harvey added to the understanding of the human body. Harvey corrected Galen by proving that the human heart was the starting point for blood circulation, not the liver, like Galen argued. He also proved that the same blood flows through all the veins and arteries and makes a complete circuit through the whole body.

Question 11

Vesalius

Answer 11

Vesalius also added to the human anatomy understanding. He was able to dissect the human body at the University of Padua. After doing so, he accurately described all of human’s organs, as well of the general structure of a human body.

Question 12

Scientific Method

Answer 12

In the Scientific Revolution, this method was applied to all aspects of life to better understand society. The Scientific Method was created by Bacon and is a multiple step process.
1. observe a natural event
2. form a hypothesis/explanation for the event
3. perform experiments to test the hypothesis
4. draw conclusions from the results and decide if they support your explanation.
5. if yes, publish your findings for other scientists to study and review

Question 13

Descartes

Answer 13

Descartes has been called the father of modern rationalism. He was a French philosopher who wrote Discourse on Method. In this, he focused on the importance of his mind. His first principle was “I think, therefore I am.” He used reason to arrive at his second principle, and because of this second principle, the idea of the separation of mind and matter (mind and body) emerged. Rene Descartes was so intrigued by the doubt he found everywhere that it led to his findings.

Question 14

Rationalism

Answer 14

Descartes is considered to be the father of modern rationalism, because his findings sparked an idea that dominates the world even today.

Question 15

Bacon

Answer 15

Created the Scientific Method.

Question 16

Natural Law

Answer 16

Natural law is a system of justice held for all humans that comes from nature, not society’s hierarchy. Enlightenment intellectuals believed any and all institutions should follow natural laws in order to create an ideal society.

Question 17

Margaret Cavendish

Answer 17

Came from an English aristocratic family and was tutored at home. Despite never probably educated when it came to science, she wrote many works on scientific discoveries, one of which is Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy. She was extremely critical of the idea that humans, because of science, were now the masters of nature. Even though her work was not taken seriously during her time, and she had to publish her writing anonymously, Cavendish is widely recognized today for her findings.

Question 18

Maria Winkleman

Answer 18

The most famous female German astronomer. Winkleman was trained by a self-taught astronomer, and when she married Prussia’s foremost astronomer, she became his assistant and constantly studied the subject. Winkleman notably discovered a comet, but when her husband died she was still denied a position at the Berlin Academy.

Question 19

Van Leeuwenhoek

Answer 19

Acknowledged as the father of microbiology. He discovered bacteria and protists, and was the first to see the world of animalcules.

Question 20

Secularization

Answer 20

The Scientific Revolution marks a shift in relying on divine rulers and religious authority, and instead focusing on rational ways of thinking.

Question 21

English Royal Society

Answer 21

The oldest national scientific society in the world. During the revolution, this group of scientists encouraged scientific exploration.

Question 22

French Royal Academy

Answer 22

Established by Louis XIV in 1666, this academy was dedicated to the scientific elite. It flourished until the disturbance of the Revolution, which led to the banning of royal academies in 1793.