Scientific Revolution

Question 1

How did the Scientific Revolution change the way Europeans looked at the world?

Answer 1

In the 1500s and 1600s, people began to make conclusions based on experimentation and observation instead of merely accepting traditional ideas. The questioning of old ideas and traditional ways of thinking was the core of the Scientific Revolution.

Question 2

How did the heliocentric theory change the way people viewed the world?

Answer 2

Nicolaus Copernicus challenged the belief that Earth was at the center of the universe. Using mathematical formulas, Copernicus suggested that the universal was heliocentric, or sun-centered. Most scholars rejected this idea, which went against the geocentric model taught by the Church for years.

Question 3

How did Galileo Galilei build upon the ideas of Copernicus?

Answer 3

In the 1600s, Italian astronomer Galileo provided further evidence to support the heliocentric theory, by observing the skies with a telescope he invented. Galileo’s findings created an uproar because they contradicted Church teachings about the world. Church leaders put Galileo on trial, and forced him to take back this claim.

Question 4

What role did Isaac Newton play in the Scientific Revolution?

Answer 4

Newton built on the knowledge of Copernicus and Galileo by using mathematics to prove the existence of gravity. This explained why objects fall toward Earth. This led people to believe that the world followed universal laws and rules that could be explained through scientific means.

Question 5

Describe the scientific method

Answer 5

A new approach to science that relied on experimentation and observation rather than simply accepting traditional ways of thinking.

1. State the problem
2. Collect information about the problem
3. Form a hypothesis, or educated guess
4. Experiment to test the hypothesis
5. Record and analyze data
6. State a conclusion
7. Repeat steps 1-6

Question 6

Describe Rene Descartes’ views on human reason.

Answer 6

Descartes challenged the idea that new knowledge should be made to fit existing traditional ideas. Descartes emphasized the power of human reason and believed that reason, rather than tradition, should be the way to discover truth.

Question 7

Explain how the Scientific Revolution influenced the Enlightenment in Europe.

Answer 7

The ideas from the Scientific Revolution paved the way for other changes that would occur in Europe in the 1700s. Just as scientists used observation and experimentation to question traditional perspectives on the world, philosophers began to question what role the government should play in the lives of its citizens and where its power is derived from.