Galileo was an enquirer. His mind was full of questions. IsI it possible to measure heat? Is it possible to weigh air? Can I find an accurate way to measure time? Does the earth stand, still, or does it move? Does the sun move or does it stand still? What makes things float or sink? How fast do things fall? Most people thought they already knew the answers to those questions. Anyone could see that the sun moved across the sky, around the earth. If at night, you looked up at the stars in all directions, you could certainly see that the earth was the center of everything. Measuring time with an hourglass or a sundial was good enough, wasn't it? Scripture, the writings of the ancient Greeks, and your own common sense gave you all the answers you needed. Galileo believed that after you asked the questions, it was important to test the answers before you accepted them. He asked, "Is it true that heavier things fall faster than lighter ones?" The story is that one day, when he was a Professor at the University of Pisa, he climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with two cannon balls. One weighed one pound; the other weighed ten pounds. He dropped them both at exactly the same time and they landed at exactly the same time. Even though they had watched the experiment, the other professors didn't believe what they saw. They were furious at Galileo for challenging Aristotle's ideas. They were so angry that they thought Galileo should be punished.
- Type: Paperback ()
- Category: > Home Schooling
- ISBN / UPC: 9781893103016/1893103013
- Publish Date: 1/1/2001
- Item No: 143271
- Vendor: Beautiful Feet Books
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