PHYSICAL SCIENCE

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Aristotle contribution in
Science
-Aristotle was one of the greatest philosophers and
scientist who has studied and researched various subjects.
He was the first to introduce a comprehensive system of
Western philosophy.

-He also established science as a field of study. Biology,

zoology, physics, metaphysics, ethics, logic, aesthetics,
rhetoric, linguistics, music, theatre, poetry and politics
and government are few subjects that have been written
by Aristotle.
1. Development of Scientific Method

2. Establishment of his Own School

3. Earth is Spherical

4. Classification of Living Things

5. Five Elements

6. Causality, the Four Causes

7. Optics

8. Empirical Research Program

9. The History of Plants by Aristotle’s

Successor

10. Influence on Hellenistic medicine

Aristotle’s Model of the Universe

Aristotle’s model also used 27 spheres of

Eudoxus.1

Aristotle used 27 “buffering” spheres

between the celestial spheres of Eudoxus
and an outermost sphere that was the
domain of what he called the Primer
Mover.2
The Prime Mover rotated this outermost
sphere with constant angular speed ,
According to Aristotle:

-The order of heavenly bodies in the

universe was from the earth was ( from earth
out) : 3earth ,4 moon ,5 Mercury , 6Venus ,
7Sun , 8Mars,9 Jupiter , 10Saturn , the fixed
stars , and the firmament of the Prime Mover
11
The Roman Catholic Church adopted this
idea in the medieval times : the Prime Mover
was considered as GOD , and the spheres of
the firmament as HEAVEN. Aristotle divided
the universe into two realms – the terrestrial
and the celestial with the orbit of the moon
as boundary . Below the moon’s orbit was
the terrestrial realm
The terrestrial realm was composed of the
four primordical elements in this sequence:
earth , water , air , and fire. Objects in the
terrestrial real moved naturally according to
their material composition at or above the
moon’s orbit was the celestial realm , which
consist of the fifth element called aether or
ether.
Aristotle considered the terrestrial matter to
be ephemeral and undergoing decay , while
ether was unchanging and perpetual .
According to Aristotle , Earth is a sphere . He
based his proposition on several
observations. First , it is only at the surface of
a sphere that all objects fall straight down.
Second , the view of the constellations
changes as one travels from NORTH to
SOUTH .
Finally , the shadow of the earth on the
moon during a lunar eclipse is round.

Aristotle’s model was based on the the three

types of motion: 13natural , 14violent , and
15alteration .

Natural Motion is related to the tendency of

an object to seek its natural place in the
universe .
Heavy Elements move toward Earth , while
lighter ones move up.However , terrestial
objects can be compelled to move in
unnatural ways by application of force. This
motion is considered violent motion.
Aristotle considered vertical motion as
16natural and horizontal motion as17
violent. He also considered motion as a type
of change or 18alteration. Alteration is the
ability of an object to change. This change
can be19 generation , 20corruption or
alteration in quality .
“coming tobe an passing away take
place when a thing changes from this
to that as a whole. Passing away
takes place when nothing perceptible
persists in the thing, and the thing
changes as a whole.” The end of
motion is for the object to be at rest.
On the other hand , an object
changing its shape from rectangular
to circular is condered in alteration in
quality.