5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion
5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion
5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion
UNIT 5
5.0 Aristotelian vs. Galilean Motion...
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Background - Aristotle’s Ideas on Motion
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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.
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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.
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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.
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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.
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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.
Fundamentals of physics - Mechanics
Galileo's Inclined Planes
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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.