29 Galilean Conceptions

Galilean Conceptions:
Vertical Motion,
Horizontal Motion, and
Projectile Motion
Objectives
• In this lesson, you should be able to describe how Galileo used his
discoveries in mechanics (and astronomy) to address scientific
objections to the Copernican model.
• Why do objects move?
• Scientists and philosophers alike have been trying to answer this
question even before 300 B.C. One of the well-known philosophers
who attempted to do this was Aristotle. His attempt was based on
inductive-deductive reasoning and was accepted for centuries.
• However, Galileo Galilei challenged the Aristotelian view of motion
when he had his actual and thorough experiments. He disagreed
with most of Aristotle’s claims and provided his own description of
motion.
• Galilean Conceptions vs. Aristotelian Conceptions
• According to Aristotle, motion can be either natural or violent
motion. In a natural motion, the object will move and will return
to its natural state based on the object's material or composition.
In contrast, an object moving in a violent motion requires an
external force (push or pull) for the object to move.
• He also had his view on the projectile motion of an object. He
believed that an object thrown at a certain angle is given
an impetus—a force or energy that permits an object to move. It
will continue to move in such state until the object’s impetus is
lost, and the object returns to its natural state, causing it to stop
and fall to the ground.
• Galileo disproved Aristotle’s claims and believed that the motion
of objects is not simply due to the composition of objects. He
mentioned that motion can be described by mathematics and the
changes in some physical variables such as time and distance.
Using his actual and thorough experiments, he was able to prove
that:
• an object in uniform motion will travel a distance that is
proportional to the time it will take to travel;
• a uniformly accelerating object will travel at a speed proportional
to some factor of time; and
• an object in motion, if unimpeded, will continue to be in motion;
an external force is not necessary to maintain the motion.
• Galileo's Conceptions of Motion
• Horizontal motion
• An object in motion, if unimpeded, will continue to be in
motion, and an external force is not necessary to maintain
the motion. If the Earth’s surface is very flat and extended
infinitely, objects that are pushed will not be impeded.
Thus, the objects will continue to move. This kind of
motion, however, is not evident in nature. For example, if
a ball is pushed on an infinitely flat plane, the ball will
continue to roll if unimpeded.
• Vertical motion
• In the absence of a resistance, objects would fall not depending
on their weight, but in the time of fall. Also, if the object
encountered a resistive force from a fluid equal or greater than
its weight, it will slow down and reaches a uniform motion until
it reaches the bottom and stops. For example, without any
resistance, a 1-kg object will be as fast as a 10-kg object when
falling because they fall with the same amount of time, given
that they are released from the same height. Also, a stone
dropped in the ocean will sooner or later travel at constant
speed.
• Projectile motion
• Galileo believed that a projectile is a combination
of uniform motion in the horizontal direction and
uniformly accelerated motion in the vertical
direction. If it is not impeded, it will continue to
move even without an applied force. For example,
when you shoot a ball in a basketball ring, the ball
does not need a force to keep it moving.
• Explore!
• In a vacuum chamber, a 1-kg object and 10-kg
object was dropped at a certain height and at
the same time. Which of the following objects
will reach the ground first?
• Try it!
• Who has a more acceptable view of falling objects,
Aristotle or Galileo? Try to test it in the following activities
below. Take note that in every activity, both objects should
be dropped at the same time and at the same height.
• Drop a book and a flat sheet of paper coming.
• Drop a book and a sheet of paper crumbled to a ball.
• Drop a book with a small flat sheet of paper on top of it.
• In all three cases, which object reach the ground first?
Whose view is more acceptable then, and why?
• Key Points
• Galileo believed that an object in uniform motion will
travel a distance that is proportional to the time it took to
travel; a uniformly accelerating object will travel with a
speed proportional to some factor of time; and an object
in motion, if unimpeded, will continue to be in motion; an
external force is not necessary to maintain the motion.
• Galileo believed that a projectile is a combination of
uniform motion in the horizontal direction and uniformly
accelerated motion in the vertical direction.

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