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Scientific Revolution (1543)Unit 3: Revolution

Vocabulary

● Geocentric: Earth-centered view of the universe

● Heliocentric: Sun-centered view of the universe

● Philosopher: A person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment; a scholar or a

thinker

Causes of the Scientific Revolution

● Increased need for careful observation and accurate measurements

● Invention of new instruments like the telescope and microscope

● Printing press allowed new ideas to spread quickly and easily

● Scientific Revolution: A new way of thinking about the natural world, and

an increased willingness to question beliefs

What it was Before

● Prior to the SR, Europeans believed in the Ptolemaic

System○ A geocentric model of the universe that combined ideas of Aristotle,

Christianity, and Ptolemy

○ Earth, which contained God’s chosen people, was the center of the

universe

■ “The Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved”

Psalms 104:5

“Ptolemy is compared to a whimsical cook who, instead of turning his meat in roasting, should…contrive to have his whole fire, kitchen and all, whirling continually ‘round it.”

- Ben Franklin

Copernicus and Kepler

● Nicholas Copernicus determined that the universe is

heliocentric○ Theory challenged centuries of scientific and religious belief

○ Prominent religious leaders criticized his findings

● Johannes Kepler confirms and builds on ideas of

Copernicus (and mentor Tycho Brahe)■ Laws of Planetary Motion: Planets orbit the sun in ellipses

Scientific Breakthroughs

● Galileo’s Discoveries

○ Builds own telescope in 1609 CE

○ Observations and discoveries challenge those of old Greek

philosophers

■ Heavenly bodies (planets) made up of material substance, not

pure light

○ Forced to recant (publicly deny) his own theories by the Catholic

Church

■ Later convicted of heresy and imprisoned until death

Newton’s View of the Universe

● Isaac Newton is often called the greatest genius of the Scientific

Revolution

○ Newton defined three laws of motion

■ Main idea is the universal law of gravitation: Explains that a force called

“gravity,” which attracts all objects to each other, is what keeps planets in

elliptical orbit

● Newton’s writings explained his findings step-by-step

○ Simple writing, relatively easy to understand

○ Changed the way Europeans saw the universe

Breakthroughs in Medicine and Chemistry

● The willingness to question past beliefs bled into medicine and chemistry,

leading to many discoveries○ Robert Boyle

■ Proposed that matter was made up of smaller particles that joined together in

different ways

○ Antoine Lavoisier

■ Conservation of matter; “father of modern chemistry”

■ First list of elements

■ Devised the metric system

○ William Harvey

■ Heart is the beginning point for blood circulation

Philosophy and Reason

● Rene Descartes

○ Father of modern rationalism: system of thought based on the belief that

reason is the chief source of knowledge

● Francis Bacon

○ Bacon devised the Scientific Method: A systematic procedure for collecting

and analyzing evidence

● People begin using their own reason (Descartes) and observations (Bacon)

to find answers instead of the gov’t or church

Inductive Reasoning Examples

Inductive reasoning: Reaching a general conclusion based on multiple

observations; finding a pattern

● The teacher used PowerPoint on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.● Therefore, the teacher will use PowerPoint on Thursday.

● I met a mechanic in Flagstaff and he was very nice.● I met a waitress in Flagstaff and she was very nice.● I met a college student in Flagstaff and she was very nice.● Therefore, everyone in Flagstaff is very nice.

• “I think, therefore I am.”

• “We cannot doubt our existence if we

doubt.”

or

• “I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am.”

• Meaning: The very act of doubting one’s

own existence proves the existence of

one’s self

RENE DESCARTES

Societal Impact

● The Scientific Revolution gave society many new discoveries about nature

and the human body

○ Medicine improves, bringing a higher life expectancy

○ Surgeries and childbirth become less dangerous with new knowledge of the

human body

● The Scientific Revolution provided new ways of thinking

○ Allows for the Enlightenment to take place

Exit Ticket

With a partner, on one paper, fully answer and explain the following:

● Explain the relationship between Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and Copernicus

● Why is Newton so important to the big picture of the Scientific Revolution?

● Why was the theory of heliocentrism so threatening to the Church?

Turn in answers to the front desk when finished