5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion

Mechanics
UNIT 5
5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion...
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Background - Aristotle’s Ideas on Motion
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 Ancient Greek scientists

were familiar with some of
the ideas in physics that we
study today more than 2000
years ago.
Aristotle thought that
 Aristotle was considered natural motion proceeds
the most outstanding from the "nature" of an
philosopher-scientist of his object which depended on
time in ancient Greece. the combination of four
elements – earth, water, air,
and fire.
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Aristotle divided motion
into two main classes:
natural motion and violent
motion
 Aristotle thought that
natural motion proceeds
from the "nature" of an
object which depended on
the combination of four
and fire.
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Aristotle divided motion
into two main classes:
natural motion and violent
motion
 Aristotle thought that
natural motion proceeds
from the "nature" of an
object which depended on
the combination of four
and fire.
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 In his view, every
object in the universe
has a proper place,
determined by this
"nature“.
Any object not in its Aristotle divided motion into
proper place will two main classes: natural
"strive" to get there. motion and violent motion…
 An unsupported lump In natural motion objects were
of clay, being of earth, returning to their proper place
properly falls to the in the universe…
ground while being of Violent motion were caused by
the air, an unimpeded pushes and pulls on objects...
puff of smoke properly
rises.
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 A feather being a
mixture of earth and air
but predominantly
earth, properly falls to
the ground, but not as
rapidly as a lump of Aristotle divided motion into
clay. two main classes: natural
 He postulated that motion and violent motion…
heavier objects would In natural motion objects were
strive harder. Thus returning to their proper place
objects should fall at in the universe…
speeds proportional to Violent motion were caused by
their weights: the
heavier the object, the pushes and pulls on objects...
faster it should fall.
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 Things on Earth showed
natural motion which was
either straight up or
straight down while
celestial objects had
circular motion. Aristotle divided motion into
 Unlike up-and-down two main classes: natural
motion, circular motion has motion and violent motion…
no beginning or end, In natural motion objects were
repeating itself without returning to their proper place
deviation.
in the universe…
 He asserted that
Violent motion were caused by
celestial bodies are
perfect spheres made of a pushes and pulls on objects...
perfect and unchanging
substance.
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 Pushing or
pulling forces
produced Violent
motion and so
was imposed The movement of the
motion. Pushing water (in all cases) is natural
a cart or lifting but the debris is violent
a heavy weight motion in that it is
imposed motion,
externally caused and
as the wind
imposed motion imparted to objects...
on ships and They moved not by their
floodwaters "nature," but because of
imposed it on pushes or pulls...
boulders and
debris.
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 There were difficulties with the
concept of violent motion e.g. a
bowstring moved an arrow until the
arrow left the bow. Thereafter the
arrow's motion seemed to require
some other pushing agent. Aristotle’s ideas
 Aristotle's statements about of motion became so
motion were a beginning in scientific much a part of
thought, and, although we don’t traditional
agree with him now, for nearly 2000 knowledge that
years his views were beyond
hundreds of years
question....
after Newton and
Galileo we still
intuitively use
them...
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 This lead to the thinking that
since the force required to move
the earth is inconceivable then it
must be the centre of the
universe...
Aristotle’s ideas
 The thinking was so entrenched
that it was heresy to think of motion became so
otherwise... much a part of
traditional
knowledge that
hundreds of years
after Newton and
Galileo we still
intuitively use
them...
Nicolaus Copernicus
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 Nicolaus Copernicus
(1474-1543) formulated a This new idea was to
theory of the moving overturn the conception
Earth. of the cosmos...
 Copernicus reasoned
that the simplest way to
account for the observed
motions of the Sun,
Moon, and planets
through the sky was to
assume that Earth (and
other planets) circle
around the Sun.
 He feared persecution
so he kept his hypothesis
secret.
Nicolaus Copernicus
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 Also he could not
explain what made the This new idea was to
Earth move. overturn the conception
Aristotle's views had of the cosmos...
become so entrenched in
Church doctrine that to
contradict them was to
question the Church
itself. Many Church
leaders considered the
idea of a moving Earth as
a threat, not only their
authority, but the very
foundations of faith and
civilization as well.
Galileo and the Leaning Tower
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Galileodiscredited the
Aristotelian ideas about motion,
through observation and experiment
 Galileo was not the first to point

out difficulties in Aristotle's views,
but he was the first to provide
conclusive evidence by dropping
objects of various weights from the
top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and
comparing their falls
Galileo and the Leaning Tower
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Contrary to Aristotle's assertion,
many observers witnessed the
dropping of two objects of
different weight from the top of
the tower hitting the ground While Aristotle's
together. views appear logical and
consistent with
It is everyday observations
understandable that and do seem to make
many scoffed at the common sense, unless
young Galileo and you purge it from your
continued to hold concept of motion, you
fast to their will experience
Aristotelian difficulty understanding
teachings despite the physics of motion...
the evidence.
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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 On Earth motion
always involved a
resistive medium such as
air or water. Aristotle
did not consider motion
in the absence of an Galileo showed that physics
interacting medium. should be investigated by
experiment rather than
Aristotelian motion logic…
required that an object
requires a push or pull to In this way he can be considered
keep it moving. the father of modern
investigative methods used in the
way we study modern science...
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 Galileo disagreed with
this principle and he
postulated that if there
is no interference with
a moving object, it will
keep moving in a Galileo showed that physics
straight line forever; no should be investigated by
push, pull, or force of experiment rather than
any kind is necessary. logic…
 Galileo tested this
hypothesis by In this way he can be considered
experimenting with the the father of modern
motion of various
investigative methods used in the
objects on plane
surfaces tilted at way we study modern science...
various angles.
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 Galileo tested
his hypothesis by
experimenting
with the motion of
various objects on
Balls rolling on Balls rolling on
plane surfaces
tilted at various downward sloping upward sloping
angles. planes speed up ... planes slow
 Balls rolling on
down...
downward sloping
planes picked up
speed Prediction: balls rolling along a
 Balls rolling on horizontal plane would neither
upward sloping speed up nor slow down
planes lost speed.
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From this he
predicted that
balls rolling along a
horizontal plane
would neither
speed up nor slow
down. downward sloping upward sloping
planes speed up ... planes slow
down...
The ball would
finally come to
rest not because
of its "nature" but Prediction: balls rolling along a
because of horizontal plane would neither
friction. speed up nor slow down
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 This idea was
supported by
observation of
motion along
smoother surfaces.
 The motion of Balls rolling on Balls rolling on
objects persisted downward sloping upward sloping
for a longer time planes speed up ... planes slow
when there was less down...
friction.
 Lessening the
friction caused the Prediction: balls rolling along a
motion afforded a horizontal plane would neither
greater to speed up nor slow down
approached
constant speed
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 Lessening the
friction caused the
motion afforded a
greater to
approached
constant speed
downward sloping upward sloping
 He predicted
planes speed up ... planes slow
that, in the
absence of friction down...
or other opposing
forces, a
horizontally moving Prediction: balls rolling along a
object would horizontal plane would neither
continue moving speed up nor slow down
indefinitely.
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 Galileo placed two
of his inclined planes
facing each other.
 A ball released
from a position of
rest at the top of a
downward sloping
plane rolled down and
then up the slope of
the upward sloping
plane until it almost
reached its initial
height.
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 He inferred that
only friction
prevented it from
rising to exactly the
same height, for the
smoother the planes,
the more nearly the
ball rose to the same
height.
 Reducing the angle
of the upward sloping
plane causes the ball
to rise to the same
height as before, but
will never reach its
initial height.
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 Balls rolling on upward
sloping planes lost
speed.
 Balls rolling on
downward sloping planes
picked up speed
He hypothesized that
balls rolling along a
horizontal plane should
neither speed up nor
slow down.
 The ball would finally
come to rest not
because of its "nature"
but because of friction
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The motion of
objects persisted for
a longer time when
there was less
friction; reducing the
friction makes the
motion approached
constant speed.
He predicted that,
in the absence of
friction or other
opposing forces, a
horizontally moving
object would continue
moving indefinitely.
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 The tendency of
the ball is to move
forever without
slowing down in the
absence of retarding
forces. The property of an object to resist
 The property of an changes in motion is called inertia...
object to resist Aristotle did not imagine motion without
changes in motion is friction so physics got stuck for 2000 years...
called inertia. Galileo realized that friction was a force like
any other push or pull and so developed the
 In the absence of idea of inertia...
retarding forces, Thus Newton presents a completely new
the tendency of the concept of the Universe...
ball is to move Newton's laws are really a restatement of
forever without the concept of inertia as proposed
slowing down. earlier by Galileo.
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Aristotle did not
imagine motion
without friction so
physics got stuck
for 2000 years.
Galileo realized The property of an object to resist
that friction was a changes in motion is called inertia...
force like any other Aristotle did not imagine motion without
push or pull and so friction so physics got stuck for 2000 years...
developed the idea Galileo realized that friction was a force like
any other push or pull and so developed the
of inertia… idea of inertia...
Thus Newton presents a completely new
concept of the Universe...
Newton's laws are really a restatement of
the concept of inertia as proposed
earlier by Galileo.
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 Thus the Earth of
any other celestial
body did not need to
be constantly
pushed for them to
show movement... The property of an object to resist
changes in motion is called inertia...
Aristotle did not imagine motion without
So now onto friction so physics got stuck for 2000 years...
Newton's Laws of Galileo realized that friction was a force like
Motion… any other push or pull and so developed the
idea of inertia...
Thus Newton presents a completely new
concept of the Universe...
Newton's laws are really a restatement of
the concept of inertia as proposed
earlier by Galileo.

5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion

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Mechanics

 Ancient Greek scientists

 Galileo was not the first to point

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