Why did the geocentric model of the universe persist for so long?
Complete answers will include: • How our senses show that the Earth is stationary—item 4 of the Greek observations list in the “Plato’s Homework Problem” section of chapter 4 in the online astronomy textbook. • How the geocentric universe model had become part of church/political dogma. See the beginning of the “Battle with the Church” section of chapter 4 in the online astronomy textbook. • How were Galileo’s ideas of motion different from his predecessors who believed in an Aristotelian view? Good answers will compare and contrast Galileo’s discoveries with Aristotle’s views about motion. See the Galileo subsection of “Battle with the Church” in chapter 4 of the online astronomy textbook and the first lecture material. Answers should include: • Aristotle: natural motion on the Earth is at rest and will move toward the Earth center. The only way to make something move is to continually apply a force. Falling objects fall with constant speed and more massive things fall faster. • Gal
