The Mean Speed Theorem & Odd Numbers Law
The Scientific Revolution – Timeline
Basic Intellectual Strands – The Scientific Revolution
Astronomy/Physics: Copernicus: Bequeathed the problem of explaining away Aristotelian physics in moving earth system. The problem, as Galileo later stated it, was to ‘move the earth without a thousand inconveniences.’ Kepler: Creative but ineffectual stab at explaining planetary system via ‘magnetic’ physics –notion of local gravity; ‘magnetic’ force of sun pulling planets around in coaxial […]
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Copernicus’ Major Works
Summary: Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus
Copernicus’ mathematics: No essential difference from that used by Ptolemy: Crude algebra, with no convenient notational system, elementary trigonometry (tables of chords). This turned out to be a genuine restriction. With appropriate mathematics, Copernicus might well have done more. Epicycles remained, just as in Ptolemy’s system. Copernicus managed to remove the equants, but only by substituting […]
Systems of the World
The Ptolemaic Planetary Model
This simplified drawing illustrates the geocentric model of Claudius Ptolemy (fl. 140 A.D.). No attempt has been made to represent the relative size of epicycles and deferents, nor are radial dimensions drawn to scale. Attention is directed to the parallel positions of the radius vectors of the epicycles of the superior planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), […]
The Copernican System of the World
The central position of the sun is the noteworthy innovation of Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543). Technically, however, the system is not heliocentric: the momentary center of revolution, C, represents the center of earth’s orbit, not a gemetric or physical center. Two other innovations are also of interest. First, the use of a double epicycle for lunar […]
The Tychonic Model of the World
This simplified drawing illustrates the planetary scheme of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). Scholars label this model geoheliocentric. Please note that Earth is at the center of the sphere of fixed stars and the Sun revolves annually around the fixed, central Earth. The planets, in turn, revolve around the Sun. The Tychonic scheme, like the Ptolemiac, requires […]