Lecture

5: Galileo on motion
Saturday, September 2, 2 017 7:56 A M

Astronomical Observational of Galileo

One of the father of modern physics/science
Improved e arly telescope designs
Made breakthrough observations of solar system
Carefully studied the motions of falling objects

Refuted Aristotelian Physics

Promoted the Heliocentric Model / Copernican View
Turning the Tide against Ptolemy

Galileo's Astronomical Observations

Sunspots & lunar craters
Recall: in 2-domains view, celestial bodies are perfect
Galileo's observation: celestial bodies are not perfect
Moons of Jupiter (Galilean moons)
Jupiter, a planet, is center of revolution of other bodies
i.e. 4 moons
Nothing wrong with the moon orbiting the earth in the Copernican model
The earth is not so special after all
Phases of Venus
In the Ptolemaic system, V enus is between sun and e arth
It would always show a crescent phase
In the Copernican System, V enus can show full range of phases (as it
passes from between the sun and the earth, to being on the opposite side
of the sun from the earth)
Galilean observation of V enus supports Copernican view
so he stopped believing in the Ptolemaic model
Stars still point-like e ven with telescope

Motion Based on Aristotelian Physics

Recall 2-domains view

Galileo's Experiments on Falling Motion

Did the leaning tower of Pisa happen?
Possible answers: NO OR MAYBE
Why NO?
Galileo's Experiments on Falling Motion
Did the leaning tower of Pisa happen?
Possible answers: NO OR MAYBE
Why NO?
Viviani account made 80 years after Galileo's death, so it is
unreliable
Not recorded in Galileo's notebook
No need - Simon Stevinus performed similar experiment 30
years before
Why MAYBE?
Viviani account mentioned it
In keeping with Galileo's personality
Not in notebook because it was just probably a publicity stunt

Types of Motion During the Fall i.e. Vertical Motion

Aristotle: Uniform Speed i.e. covers same distance at same period of time
Galileo: Uniform Acceleration i.e. speed increases at the same rate
Speed increases in time, thus more distance covered in time

The Experiment on Vertical Motion

Note: shots are taken at same time intervals
If uniform motion, speed should be the same all throughout motion
Recall: speed = distance/time

i.e. uniform accelerated motion

Distances increases for the same amount of time

Galileo's Experiment on Horizontal Motion

In absence of friction, no force needed object will just continue in its motion

i.e. uniform motion:

same distance in same amount of time

Comparing the Descriptions

Aristotle Galileo
Falling Motion Falling Motion
Object's fall at a rate proportional to Falling is independent of weight
their weight Falling is uniformly accelerated
heavy objects fall faster than
light objects Horizontal Motion
Falling motion is uniform motion ( at No force is needed to sustain
onstant speed) horizontal motion
 Object's fall at a rate proportional to Falling is independent of weight
their weight Falling is uniformly accelerated
heavy objects fall faster than
light objects Horizontal Motion
Falling motion is uniform motion ( at No force is needed to sustain
onstant speed) horizontal motion
Equal distances at equal time i.e. impetus is not needed
to have horizontal motion
Horizontal Motion Force is only required to change
An impetus is required to stain speed, not sustain it
Impetus: fuel
Projectile Motion
Projectile Motion Projectile motion is a
Complicated mechanisms involved for superposition of vertical and
projectile motion horizontal motion
Uniform horizontal motion
Uniform accelerated
motion

Galileo Got Some Things Wrong

He thought circular motion is the natural type of motion
Ignored Kepler's last two laws
Presented a wrong explanation on tides

(Galileo) Removing the Objections of Copernican View/Heliocentric Model

1. Stellar parallax should be observed
Objection: Stellar parallax not observed
2. Apparent sizes of stars should change
Objection: No change in apparent size of stars
3. Thousand-mile-her-hour breeze should be experienced
Air kept within the earth so we don't feel it
Galileo: Air moves along with the earth
4. Complex falling paths should be observed
Falling, horizontal, and projectile motion are fairly simple
Falling: uniform acceleration
Horizontal: uniform motion without forces
Galileo: Falling motion will still be simple. Aristotle is wrong.
5. Moving large mass ( earth) requires large impetus
None; not needed for circular motion
Galileo: None is needed for circular motion
6. Rapidly rotating earth should break apart
Galileo: Celestial spheres are rotating faster, so why don't they break
apart?
 5. Moving large mass ( earth) requires large impetus
None; not needed for circular motion
Galileo: None is needed for circular motion
6. Rapidly rotating earth should break apart
Galileo: Celestial spheres are rotating faster, so why don't they break
apart?

For 1 and 2:
Disproved by Galileo's astronomical observations
Galileo: Stars are too far away for these effects to be observed even if the
Earth is moving
For 3-6:
Disproved by Galileo's e xperiments on motion

The Move Toward the Copernican View

Our model of the universe
Tycho Brahe: Better data
Kepler: Final touch up of the model
Galileo: Promotions and disproving objections
Still missing: someone to put the pieces together in order to form a coherent
physical theory in modern sense