Scientific Revolution Flashcards
1
Q
How did Joseph Wright capture many elements of the Scientific Revolution?
A
- Painting - ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump’ - 1768
- Portray the difficult transition from complete control by God to a rational perspective of natural events.
- In painting scientists creates a vacum killing bird however scientific can lift the tube and save the bird
- He is playing God - Idea that God does not control the world on a day-to-day basis.
2
Q
What two dominant ideas shaped natural philosophy?
A
- Aristotelian - universe was homocentric (earth is centre) and circular motions occur in space - empiricism and learning from observation and experience
- Platonic - theoretical moving away from observed knowledge - as the world changes there is no way to gain certain knowledge.
3
Q
How did Claudius Ptolemy influence the scientific revolution?
A
- Belief similar to Aristotle - Earth centre of universe
- However, belief in epicycle a circle a planet moves around a fixed point - not around Earth but close too - this accounted for changing speeds of planets
- Tables to track and predict the position of Sun, stars and planet
- Widely accepted findings
- Hypothetical interpretation no observed evidence
- It seems to work so wasn’t questioned
- It became too complicated so must be adapted.
4
Q
How did Nicolaus Corpernicus effect the scientific revolution?
A
- Began revolution when published ‘On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres’ 1543
- Continued commitment to Christianity
- Ptolemaic system inadequate
- The universe is Heliocentric (the sun is the centre)
- Agree with Aristotle and Ptolmy that move in perfect circles.
- The idea that universe made of 8 separate spheres plants revolve around stationary sun on spheres.
- Catholic Church banned book in 1616
5
Q
What did Nicolaus Corpernicus write and when?
A
‘On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres’
1543
6
Q
What were the limitations of Copernicus’s findings?
A
- Conservative thinker
- Theoretical conclusions instead of empirical observations
- The continued idea of moving on spheres - didn’t know what these were made of or if they could be seen
- Didn’t change Ptolemy’s underlying approach - perfectly circular.
- Contradicted biblical account that Earth was stationary
7
Q
How did Tycho Brahe influence Johannes Kepler?
A
- Kepler worked for Brahe
- Compromise between Copernicus and Ptolemy.
- All planets circle sun with sun circling earth which was always stationary
- Incorrect but step towards Orbits - perfect spheres redundant - planets moved independently - new theory needed
- 1572 - observed supernova went against all opinions that universe was uniform and could not change.
- Concluded these existed outside atmosphere of Earth
8
Q
How did Johannes Kepler effect the scientific revolution?
A
- Inspired by Copernicus’ - agree heliocentric (sun centre)
- Published Cosmic Mystery 1596
- Said God perfectly designed Earth
- Proposed 6 layers of 3D shapes nestled together corresponded with path of 6 known planets.
- Later rejected this idea,
- 1609 published Astronomia Nova - 2 laws of planetary motion - 1st - Elliptical orbit around sun. 2nd - different speeds closer to sun = faster
- Provided physical explanations from observations and Brahe’s findings.
- 3rd publication - Harmonies of the World law Distance from planet to sun^3 is proportion to time it taked for a planet to complete its orbit^2 - developed by Isaac Newton when gravity was understood.
9
Q
How did Galileo Galilei effect the scientific revolution?
A
- Inspired by Copernicus, Kepler, Aristotle and Ptolemy
- Reject Tycho Brahe
- Refreshing and analytical in ‘Dialogue concerning the Two chief world systems’ 1632- 4 languages
- Earth on own axis spinning (Tides essential to understand motion)
- Moon around Earth (Discovered moons on Jupiter)
- New stars meant spread through space not fixed
- Agree Sun centre of solar system
- Idea that everything is pushed by something (hinting at Gravity Isaac Newton)
- Disgree with Catholic Church - sale of book prohibited
10
Q
What three books did Johannes Kepler publish?
A
- Cosmic Mystery 1596
- 1609 published Astronomia Nova
- Harmonies of the World
11
Q
What book did Galileo Galilei write and when?
A
‘Dialogue concerning the Two chief world systems’
1632
12
Q
How did Isaac Newton effect the scientific revolution?
A
- Inspired by Kepler (proved mathematically), Galilei, Rene Descartes and Christiaan Huygens
- ‘Principia Mathematica’ - 1687
- Gravity - Apple experiment 1665/6 - force propelling planets in orbit around the sun same that kept everything on Earth
- Explained Centrifugal Force
- Theory of Acoustics - sound varied depending on density
- Three laws of motion
- President of Royal Society 1727
- Still believed in magic
13
Q
What book did Isaac Newton publish and when?
A
‘Principia Mathematica’
1687
14
Q
What was the experimental method by Francis Bacon?
A
- Focus on Inductive(evidence-based) rather than deductive reasoning
- The importance of accumulating as much data as possible - influenced need for Royal Society.
- Reject preconceived theories
- Methodical and meticulous observation of facts best way
- Applied empirical thinking
- Published ‘Of the Provifience and Advancement of Learning, divine and Human’ - 1605 - empirical
- Developed by John Locke
15
Q
What book did Francis Bacon write and when was it published?
A
‘Of the Provifience and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human’
1605
