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How did Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton contribute to the Scientific Revolution?
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mechanics
Figure 1: (A) The vector sum C = A + B = B + A. (B) The vector difference A + (−B) = A − B = D. (C, left) A cos θ is the component of A along B and (right) B cos θ is the component of B along A. (D, left) The right-hand rule used to find the direction of E = A × B and (right) the right-hand rule used to find the direction of −E = B × A.
The Scientific Revolution was driven by a fundamental shift in how humanity understood the physical universe, moving from qualitative, Aristotelian traditions to a mathematical, experimental framework.12
- Nicolaus Copernicus: He initiated the revolution by proposing the heliocentric theory, which placed the Sun at the center of the universe and set Earth in motion. This challenged the long-standing Ptolemaic system and established the necessity of describing the real, physical system of the world.13
- Galileo Galilei: He provided observational evidence for the Copernican system using the telescope, discovering mountains on the Moon and the phases of Venus. In mechanics, he pioneered the use of mathematics to describe nature, formulating the law of free fall and the principle of inertia.124
- Johannes Kepler: He placed the Copernican hypothesis on a firm mathematical footing by deriving three planetary laws from observational data, notably discovering that planets move in elliptical orbits.1
- Isaac Newton: As the revolution's culminating figure, he synthesized celestial and terrestrial physics in his Principia. By formulating the laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, he provided the physical basis for Kepler’s laws and established the mathematical foundation for modern physics.54