Galileo Galilei

Born 1546 Pisa

Died 1642 Florence

Aristotle’s Motion

• Until Galileo, Aristotle’s theory on motion stood.– Heavier objects fall faster– Natural motion is toward earth – Any other motion was violent motion and

required a force to move it.

Galileo

• Galileo quickly became aware that his talents lay in mathematics.

• He rose through the academic ranks at various universities in Italy

• One of his early accomplishments was suggesting that theories could be tested through experiment.

Galileo’s Experiments

Nova Experiments

Disproving Aristotle

• Heavier objects do not fall faster. – Proved via experiment and stones tied

together thought experiment

• Projectile motion– Vertical and horizontal motion act

independently

• Natural motion is circular

Inclined Plane Experiment

Galileo’s Motion

• An object remains in motion unless acted upon by other forces.

• Natural motion is circular

• Galileo also invented the telescope and used it to study the heavens

• Persecuted by church for supporting the Sun centered model