[Physics Class Notes] on History of Science Pdf for Exam

We, humans, have an instinctive tendency to judge a matter by the laws of cause and effect; it is the only thing that has remained intact during the process of human evolution. This tendency has busied over the happenings of the natural world while we took each step at a time to the concept of science, which we have today. The modern definition of science relies on observation and experimentation through the path of scientific discoveries has been initiated by ancient Greeks and Romans, trying to logically describe various natural phenomena. Ancient science, however, laid the founding stone for the scientists of the later stages to embark upon. It has been claimed by many that Aristotle was the first scientist. He came around the 4th century BC and brought with him the origin of science.

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Historical Development of Science

Science is a practical and intellectual activity that relies upon the systematic study of the structure and behavior of every natural and physical object through the process of observation and experiment. Since the dawn of the origin of science, many aspects of the world have been called into question. Still, it can be sorted in three main categories based on the subject of study- natural sciences, social sciences, and formal sciences. 

1. Natural Sciences – It comprises the study of the material world.

2. Social Sciences – The study of people and societies.

3. Formal Sciences – It is the domain of mathematics. 

Historical Evolution of Science

We have earlier discussed the definition and the origin of science; in this section, we will trace the slow transition of science as we progressed over the eras and the scientific development we have achieved from the ancient science to the modern. A quick fact: the word ‘Scientist’ had not come into being until the 19th century, when William Whewell first coined the term. 

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• Before the writing system came into being, scientific knowledge and findings were transferred in the medium of oral tradition. Ancient science followed this process.

• The scientific revolution has occurred in many stages over the years, and each one has bought myriads of scientific ideas together developed by evolved thinkers. In the early stages, when Churches had the upper hand over the people in Europe, original and logical thoughts were condemned; however, the truth cannot be suppressed. One such instance was the findings of Nicolaus Copernicus, who inferred that Earth was not the center of the universe, and first bought the idea of the solar system in the 16th century. Later, Johannes Kepler developed the model of planetary motion.

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• Another one of those revolutionary thinkers was Galileo Galilei, who came around the 17th century. He is known as the father of Modern Physics. The further strengthened the ideas of Copernicus and Kepler by inventing the telescope and looking beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.  

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• Later came, William Gilbert, who conducted various experiments with magnets and electricity. He proved Earth itself was magnetized.

• As the study furthered, it was categorized into groups. Natural sciences comprise Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy, and Biology. Social sciences include the study of political science, geography, linguistics, economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology. 

Science Facts

Here we have collected some amazing science facts that you probably learn in high school. These prove that science can be fun and informative at the same time.

1. Water is very prone to do some fun stuff. Water can be boiled and frozen at the same time.

2. 20% of all the oxygen that is present in Earth is produced from the Amazon rainforest.

3. Venus is the only plant that is spinning in a clockwise rotation.

4. The light we receive from the sun has a travel light of 8 minutes and 19 seconds. Light has the fastest velocity that humans have known. Albert Einstein and Issac Newton have conducted many experiments with light.

5. The acids that are present in the human stomach can even dissolve razor blades.

Did You Know?

It has been claimed by many that Aristotle was the first scientist. He came around the 4th century BC and brought with him the origin of science. The speed of light is around 186000 miles per second. Gravity was first discovered by Sir Issac Newton. Though a deduction, it has been conjectured that if one particle travels at the speed of light, there is a possibility that it can travel through time, though it still remains in the genre of science fiction. 

Solved Examples

1. Who is the founder of natural science?

Sir Issac Newton has been claimed as the founder of natural science by many scientists, principally because of his groundbreaking work in The Mathematical Principles.

2. Who is the founder of science?

It has been claimed by many that Aristotle was the first scientist. He came around the 4th century BC and brought with him the origin of science.