Ptolemy Vs. Copernicus s1

Ptolemy vs. Copernicus

Both Ptolemy and Copernicus provided mankind with revolutionary information about the way the universe works. The Catholic Church was the most powerful institution on Earth and educated Catholics about how life as we know it. Research both of these men and the role of the Church using the following web resources (provided by St. Andrews University, the Vatican, Stanford University, the University of Colorado, and NASA) and answer the questions that go with each section. You will use this new “background” information in the Ptolemy vs. Copernicus Challenge!

Ptolemy:

Ptolemy’s biography

Ptolemy's hypotheses of Astronomy

Ptolemy's Geography

1. What Egyptian city was Ptolemy from? 2. What was the name of the book where Ptolemy’s most famous work can be found? 3. According to Ptolemy, what shape is the universe (the heavens)? 4. What is in the center of the heavens? 5. Does the Earth rotate (move)?

Copernicus:

Copernicus' biography

Copernicus' theory

StarChild: Copernicus

1. What is the heliocentric theory? 2. What was the name of the book where Copernicus presented the heliocentric theory? 3. According to Copernicus, does the Earth move? 4. In the heliocentric theory, what revolves around the sun? 5. Could Copernicus prove his theory?

The Church:

Journey through the Universe

1. How did the Scientific Revolution & the Renaissance “go hand in hand?” 2. What is the geocentric theory? 3. Why did Copernicus wait until after he died to publish his ideas on the heliocentric theory? PTOLEMY vs. COPERNICUS

Examine the drawings on the following pages and answer the following questions.

1. What is the most important difference between the two?

2. What does Ptolemy’s model contain that is absent from Copernicus’?

3. How might a change this drastic make people feel about their world, and their place in it?

4. How do you think Copernicus could have come up with such a different model of the universe?

5. How do you think people of the sixteenth century would react to Copernicus’ idea of the universe?

6. Which of the following models do you think the Catholic Church agreed with? Explain why. PTOLEMY’S CLASSICAL MODEL OF THE UNIVERSE CA. 150 A.D.

Ptolemy's Model of the Universe COPERNICAN MODEL OF THE UNIVERSE CA. 1543 A.D.

http://galileo.rice.edu/images/things/copernican_universe.gif

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/retrograde/copernican.html