NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Laboratory High School

SUBJECT AREA: Physical Science
2Nd Semester SY 2023-2024

Lesson: EARLY CONCEPTS OF THE UNIVERSE A. The Terrestrial and Celestial Domain
Objective: Demonstrate an understanding of Greek views of
matter, motion, and the universe; competing models of The Terrestrial Domain
the universe by Eudoxus, Aristotle, Aristarchus, (Those that can be observed on the Earth)
Ptolemy; Copernicus, Brahe, and Kepler; and evidence -also known as “Alternate motion”.
that the Earth is not the center of the universe. -it refers to the motion of chemical
• Alternation change, corruption, and generation.
PRE-ACTIVITY: Ex: Burning, Cycle of Life,
Scenario: Below are two images of different models of the universe. Note Decay, etc.
of the similarities and differences you observed between the two models -motion that occurs without the
and write them on the table provided. application of force.
• Natural/Vertical Motion
Ex. A ball at rest, a falling object,
burning of materials, etc.
-motion that requires the application
of force.
• Violent/Horizontal Motion
Ex. Pushing a box, lifting
weights, pulling a suitcase, etc.

The Celestial Domain

(Those that can be observed from the Earth)
-the daily motion of celestial bodies.
-is due to Earth’s rotation, causing
celestial bodies to move from east to
Similarities Differences west (counterclockwise).
• Diurnal Motion
-Diurnal Circle is the circular path
that celestial bodies traverse to
complete.
-the apparent yearly motion of the
• Annual Motion Sun and the Stars as viewed from
the Earth.
-Stars at the North and South Poles
1. GREEK’S VIEW OF MOTION AND THE UNIVERSE are considered circumpolar.
• Circumpolar Stars -Stars that are not observed to rise
-founded by Thales of Miletus. or set from the horizon as viewed at
-a school for Greek Philosophers of the a given latitude.
6th to 5th Century B.C. -the motion of the Earth that is
-a school that attempted to ask caused by gravitational forces
Ionian School of Philosophy exerted by the Sun and the Moon.
questions about the universe and
answered them through reason, -“Celestial Equator” is a great circle
• Precession
observation, and application of onto the sky of the Earth’s equator.
geometry. -“Ecliptic” another great circle that
that intersects with the celestial
• IONIAN GREEK PHILOSOPHERS equator.
➢ Thales of Miletus – The Earth floats/rests on water; Earth is flat-disk in -is what’s called to the points where
shape; earthquake occur due to fluctuation of rough ocean; and all things the ecliptic and the celestial equator
are full of Gods. intersect.
➢ Anaximander – Celestial Bodies make full circles; the Earth floats free in -precession of the equinoxes refers
• Equinox
the center of the universe; Earth is cylindrical in shape, like a Column- to the motion of the equinoxes
Drum; and Celestial bodies lie behind one another. along the ecliptic due to the cyclic
➢ Anaximenes – Everything originated from air as it has divine attributes; precession of the Earth’s rotational
The Earth is formed from air by a felting process; and it floats in a cushion axis.
of air and is shaped like a flat disk.
➢ Anaxagoras – The Earth is flat in shape; it rests on air which supports
it to stay up; the Sun, Moon, and all the Heavenly bodies are all red-hot 2. EARLY MODELS OF THE UNIVERSE
stones; and the Moon does not shine its own light. Before proceeding to the different models of the universe, let us have
➢ Empedocles – The cosmos exists in a constant flux; the 4 Elements of first the many observations of the Greeks that supported the Spherical Earth
matter/”roots” (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water) are able to create all things; concept.
posits two cosmic forces, Love (Philia) and Strife (Neikos). ➢ Observing the Moon – We see the same side of the moon anywhere
➢ Democritus – The Earth is spherical in shape; the universe originated we are on the Planet, and if the Earth was flat, the part of the moon’s
from chaos of atoms in motion (vibration) that came together for larger surface observable to us depend on our location on Earth.
units, bodies, world. ➢ Observing Lunar Eclipse – Only a sphere can cast a circular shadow.
➢ Pythagoras – The Earth is spherical in shape; the center of the universe During a Lunar Eclipse the Earth casts a circular shadow on the moon as
is called the “Central Fire” where Earth, and all the stars and planet orbit; it falls between the Moon and the Sun.
and all planets rotate and orbited on its own giant sphere. ➢ Observation of the Stars and Constellation – Not all stars are visible
in several locations, if the Earth was flat, then all stars must all be visible
• OTHERS in the night sky.
➢ Plato – Earth is Cubical in shape; Stars appear to move around the Earth ➢ Observing the Sun – The Sun’s light does not illuminate the whole
in a ‘perfect’ path; Planets move in a uniform and orderly manner in Earth at the same time or all at once.
circles; in all, all heavenly motions are circular or spherical as the sphere ➢ Measuring the Length of Shadow Casts by Poles – Earth is
was the perfect shape. spherical as the shadows cast in it differs in measurement in distant
➢ Hipparchus – The Earth is spherical in shape; it is the center of the locations. If it is flat, the shadow casts will be the same length.
universe; the Sun, Moon, Planet, and Stars revolved around Earth each ➢ Observing the Motion of Ships – Earth is spherical as ships can be
day; he called the motion of Earth “precession”. seen to be descending gradually below the horizon as observed from a
port.
 NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Laboratory High School
SUBJECT AREA: Physical Science
2Nd Semester SY 2023-2024

A . The Different Model of The Universe

Proponent Model
❖ Tycho Brahe
- Geo-heliocentric Model
- Earth is the center of the
❖ Eudoxus of Cnidus universe.
- Homocentric Model - Only the Moon and the
- Earth is the center of the Sun are orbiting the
universe. Earth.
- A universe where the Sun, - While the other
Moon, Planets, and Stars heavenly bodies or
are contained in a series planets orbit the Sun.
of cosmic spheres.

3. KEPLER’S LAW OF PLANETARY MOTION

❖ Aristotle o TYCHO BRAHE

- Geocentric Model – a noble Danish astronomer known for his accurate and
- Earth is the center of the comprehensive astronomical and planetary observation.
universe. – He led Denmark’s prime observatory also known as “Naked Eye
- A universe where the Sun, Observatory” since the telescope had not been invented before then.
Moon, Planets, and Stars – He utilized instruments referred to as quadrants or naked eye
all revolve around the instruments which were used to measure and record accurate position and
Earth. motion of hundreds of stars and the planets.
- It is enclosed by an – when he died, his assistant, Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer,
enormous sphere called studied and utilized his mentor’s rich data and instruments.
the “Prime Mover”. – through Kepler’s calculations, he was able to create what we call the
Laws of Planetary Motion.

❖ Aristarchus of Samos
- Heliocentric Model
- The Sun is the center of
the universe.
- All the planets orbit the
Sun along circular paths
at various speeds.
- The Moon orbits the Earth
which in turn spins on its
axis.

I. THE LAW OF ORBITS

➢ All planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun, located at one focus
of the ellipse.
❖ Ptolemy II. THE LAW OF AREA
- Eccentric Model ➢ The imaginary line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps equal areas of
- The Earth is the center of space during equal time intervals as the planet orbits.
the universe, immovable
and stationary. III. THE LAW OF PERIODS/HARMONIES
- Celestial Bodies have two ➢ The period for a planet to orbit the Sun increases rapidly with the radius
uniform circular motion: of its orbit.
Deferent and Epicycle. ➢ It is translated to an equation where the square of the orbital period of
a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of their
orbit.
➢ Mathematically it is represented as:
❖ Nicolaus Copernicus
- Heliocentric Model
- The Sun is at rest and is T2 = a3
the center of the universe.
- All the other heavenly
bodies revolve around the where:
Sun each following a • T = the orbital period (the Time to complete an orbit around the sun).
circular path. • a = the semi-major axis (half of the length of the major axis) expressed
- The heavenly bodies have in Astronomical Units or AU.
varying brightness when
viewed from Earth due to
varying location and
distances.
 NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Laboratory High School
SUBJECT AREA: Physical Science
2Nd Semester SY 2023-2024

SAMPLE PROBLEM:
1. Ceres, a dwarf planet, takes 1,682 Earth days to orbit the Sun,
approximately 4.6 Earth Years. What is the average distance from the Sun of
the dwarf planet in AU and in km?

GIVEN:
T = 4.6
a=?

FORMULA:
T2 = a3 or a3 = T2

SOLUTION:
a3 = T2

a3 = (4.6)2

a3 = 21.16

3
√a3 = 3√21.16

a = 2.8 AU

CONVERSION:
1.5 × 108 km
2.8 AU × = 4.2 × 108 km
1 AU

2. AP-12, a new asteroid, was recently discovered orbiting the Sun

at a distance of 12 AU. What is the orbital period of this asteroid?

GIVEN:
a = 12 AU
T=?

FORMULA:
T2 = a3 or a3 = T2

SOLUTION:
T2 = a3

T2 = (12)3

T2 = 1, 728

√T2 = √1, 728

T = 41.57 Years

PERFORMANCE TASK: Complete the entries in the table below by

filling out the missing boxes using Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary Motion, and
convert the average distance of each planet from the sun to km.

AVERAGE AVERAGE
ORBITAL
DISTANCE DISTANCE
PLANET PERIOD
FROM THE FROM THE
(Earth Years)
SUN (AU) SUN (km)
1. Mercury 0.24 0.39 0.6 × 108
2. Venus 0.62 0.72 1.1 × 108
3. Earth 1 1 1.5 × 108
4. Mars 1.88 1.52 2.3 × 108
5. Jupiter 12 5.2 7.8 × 108
6. Saturn 29.4 9.5 14.3 × 108
7. Uranus 84 19.8 29.7 × 108
8. Neptune 165 30.06 45.1 × 108
NOTE: Show your solutions on the space provided.
Prepared by: Jerome Vincent R. Quezon (Teacher Intern)

Reviewed by: Mrs. Gracie Ann M. Dy (Cooperating Teacher)