d’
d’ = h’ d h
h’
Start a ball from rest anywhere and let it roll Let h be the height at the start and let t be the time it takes to reach the bottom
Let v be its velocity or speed at the bottom and let d be the distance that the ball has travelled
Galileo and his Time

/ES/humsoc/Galileo/
Galileo's Science

The Basic Question: How do things move?
Basic Question #1


How do the planets move? Answers before Galileo

http://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/ Galileo Prototype/i(1564-1642) and his Theory of Motion
Prof. Alexander Hahn
Then v t and d t 2. Therefore, d v2
But also, d h. So h v 2. Therefore, v h
Horizontal Component: continues with velocity v
Vertical Component: free fall from rest will take the same time t0 to reach the ground no matter what v is

Ptolemy (200 AD)
Geocentric epicycles (example of epicycle Sun-Earth-Moon).

Copernicus (1473-1543)
Heliocentric circles and epicycles.
Galileo's Contributions
R = v x t0 and therefore, R v Because v h , we finally get R
h.

Confirmation by Experiment


Galileo tests this Relationship with an Experiment A page of Galileo's Working Notes
This Morning: Basic Question #2

How do thrown objects (projectiles) move?

The balls that we observe every day in lots of different sports?

Answers before Galileo
Galileo's Theory of Motion
round bronze ball
inclined plane
table (about 30.5 inches high)
floor
The Meaning of Proportion
d is proportional to h shorthand: d h Means: d h
The Recent ND Conference

Galileo and the Church

/~hps/galileo.html

Combined with performances of Brecht's “Life of Galileo”

/~isla/ISLA/webpages/ thearts/FTT/calendar/galileo.htm
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and his Theory of Motion
Prof. Alexander Hahn
A New Opera
“Galileo Galilei” by Philip Glass

/asp/performance.asp? perfID=GalileoGalilei
New Scholarship
Galileo in Context

Edited by Jürgen Renn © 2002 Cambridge University press
From the NY Times
A Wonderful Book
Galileo’s Daughter

Dava Sobel ©2000 Penguin



What is actually happening? The telescope: Moon, Venus, Jupiter. Vocal supporter of Copernicus Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632. Problems with the Church


Aristotle's Physics: Heavy objects fall more quickly. The notion of Impetus.
Galileo's Contributions


What is actually happening? Breaking the mold. A new theory and an experiment. Discourse about Two New Sciences, 1638.