The revolution in human understanding

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SCI 110: Introduction to Scientific Thought EXAM 2: HISTORY OF SCIENCE (100 points—2 points each) Note: Indicate in bold your answers below.

Section 1: True/False 1. In the 700s of the Common Era (CE), there arose on the island of Ionia a concept

that the universe is knowable and understandable even though nature is entirely random. Ionia consisted of all of the islands and coastal portions of modern-day Greece as well as southern Italy and Sicily.

TRUE FALSE

2. In the distant past, various peoples in various places developed numerous “god” models to explain the world around them.

TRUE FALSE

3. Ionia consisted of all the islands and coastal portions of western Greece, southern Italy, and Sicily.

TRUE FALSE

4. The revolution in human understanding that the universe is knowable did not take place in China most likely because the Chinese got to a point where they rested upon past discoveries and successes, became unwilling to adopt innovations from the outside, and the ruling elites looked down on manual labor.

TRUE FALSE

5. Thales of Miletus is considered to be the first Ionian “scientist”. Thales attempted to explain the world around him without the intervention of gods.

TRUE FALSE

6. Anaximander of Miletus is the first known person to conduct an experiment. He monitored the shadow cast by a stick over time and thus determined the length of the year and seasons.

TRUE FALSE

7. The earliest Greeks believed in a universe that was unpredictable due to the fact that it was run be capricious deities.

TRUE FALSE

 

 

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8. Democritus held that in the beginning all humans were born from other kinds of animals. Additionally, he invented and perfected the hydraulic screw.

TRUE FALSE

9. Anaxagoras was a strong supporter of Pythagoras. Pythagoras was the first person of record to explain accurately the causes of eclipses.

TRUE FALSE

10. Pythagoras and his followers are said to have avoided beans—perhaps a reference to staying out of politics as beans were used in ancient Greece to count votes.

TRUE FALSE

11. No detailed accounts of the thoughts and ideas of Pythagoras were written down by his contemporaries. He is, however, given credit as the first person to deduce the Earth to be a sphere.

TRUE FALSE

12. Aristarchus of Samos is considered to be the last of the Ionian “scientists”. He supported a heliocentric view of the universe.

TRUE FALSE

13. Nicolaus Copernicus is considered to be the reviver and confirmer of the Heliocentric Theory previously developed by Aristarchus.

TRUE FALSE

14. According to Copernicus, the Earth orbits the Sun in a circular orbit.

TRUE FALSE

15. Initially, the calculated positions of planets over time and space using Copernicus’ model yielded basically the same if not poorer results than the Ptolemaic model.

TRUE FALSE

16. Tycho Brahe, English astronomer and student of Copernicus, was an ardent supporter of the heliocentric model.

TRUE FALSE

 

 

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17. German leaders of the Protestant Reformation attacked the heliocentric model of the universe as they saw it as a means to promote older, pagan sun-worshipping religious beliefs.

TRUE FALSE

18. The first recorded experiment performed on air was done by Empedocles.

TRUE FALSE

19. Thales of Miletus advanced learning by measuring sun angles. He also stated that the Earth formed out of water by natural processes having come to that conclusion from observations he made from watching silting take place along the Nile River.

TRUE FALSE

20. Empedocles made the claim that light travels very fast, there was greater biodiversity in the past, and that air must be matter divided up so much it cannot be seen.

TRUE FALSE

Section 2: Multiple Choice (Select one answer for each question—2 points each.)

21. Which of the following is NOT correct?

A. Ptolemy believed the Earth to be the center of the universe B. Theodorus was considered a master engineer and is credited with

inventing the key, ruler, level, square, lathe, and central heating C. Polycrates was a tyrant rule of Samos who ordered the construction of a

tunnel to supply his city with water—a true engineering feat D. Anaximander believed the Earth was supported or suspended from the

heavens E. The sixth century BCE was a time of remarkable intellectual and spiritual

activity around the planet

22. Which of the following does NOT apply to Anaximander of Miletus?

A. Friend and colleague of Thales B. First person known to conduct an experiement C. Determined the length of the year and seasons D. Discovered that falling objects have no limit to their ultimate speed E. Claimed humans had evolved from other animals

 

 

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23. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding Democritus? A. A younger contemporary of Socrates B. Took over and systematized the ideas of his teacher, Leucippus C. Developed Atomic Theory D. Claimed nothing existed except atoms and voids E. Claimed all changes in the visible world arose from the relocations or

additions of atoms

24. Which of the following applies to Anaxagoras?

A. Lived some two hundred years after Socrates B. First to give a correct explanation of eclipses C. Claimed the moon was a mass of red-hot metal D. Claimed the motive cause of the cosmos was the flow of water E. Was the leader of a coup that overthrew Pericles, the leader of Athens

25. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding Aristarchus of Samos?

A. Last of the Ionian “scientists”, lived some 300 years after Pythagoras B. Developed the first known heliocentric model of the universe C. Claimed the Sun was much smaller than the Earth D. Claimed the Earth rotates on its axis once a day and orbits the Sun E. Hypothesized starts were like the Sun but farther away

26. Which of the following does NOT apply to the decline in Ionian science?

A. As more people became wealthy from trade, fewer people wanted to do manual labor

B. As they grew wealthy, Ionians began to acquire slaves C. Ionians began to look up to those who engaged in manual labor D. Slaves began to do more manual labor E. Ionian scientific experimentation involved manual labor

27. Which of the following is NOT correct?

A. The Archimedes Principle states that a body immersed in a fluid loses weight equal to the amount of fluid it displaces

B. Archimedes defined the principle of the lever C. Archimedes invented the compound pulley D. Archimedes tried unsuccessfully to invent the hydraulic screw E. Archimedes attempted to calculate Pi to a finder degree than had the

Egyptians

 

 

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28. Which of the following is correct?

A. Socrates was a student of Plato B. Socrates was a student of Aristotle C. Aristotle was a student of Socrates D. Plato was a student of Aristotle E. Plato was a student of Socrates

29. Which of the following does NOT apply to Socrates?

A. Socratic method B. Ask continuous questions to get to the foundation of the issue C. By asking a series of questions, one can perhaps reveal a contradiction D. By asking a series of questions, one can prove the validity of the initial

assumption and never prove a fallacy E. Plato was a top student

30. Which of the following does NOT apply to Aristotle?

A. Top student of Plato B. Founded a school of thought called the Academy C. Tutored Alexander the Great when Alexander was a teen D. Claimed logic was a tool to be used in science E. Worked to provide stronger explanations from weaker explanations

31. Which of the following does NOT apply to Aristotle?

A. Strong advocate of atomic theory B. Claimed humans learn from our senses C. Empedoclean belief in the four elements: earth, sea, air, and fire D. Realized the complexity of the world could not be reduced to a single

explanation E. Embraced the material world and change

32. Which of the following is correct regarding Ptolemy?

A. Ptolemy advocated for a heliocentric model of the universe B. Ptolemy was considered to be the weakest of the astronomers of the

ancient world C. Ptolemy’s impact lasted only some hundred years after his death D. Claimed the Earth was immovable E. Felt the Earth was close to the center of the universe but not at the center

 

 

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33. What most likely accounts for the eventual decline in Ionian science?

A. Wealth through trade led to slavery and a reduction in the need to engage in manual labor

B. Ionia was conquered and destroyed by the Roman Empire C. Ionia was conquered and destroyed by the Persian Empire D. The Great Plague killed over 50% of Ionia’s scientific community E. A economic collapse occurred as a result of a slave rebellion

34. Thales of Miletus measured which of the following angles?

A. The angle between the center of the Earth and the Moon B. The angle of the Sun above the horizon C. The angle of red light as it exits a prism D. The angle of elements comprising a water molecule E. The angle of the Moon above the horizon during an equinox

35. Which of the following is correct?

A. Archimedes: first to propose the concept of the atom B. Democritus: developed concept of the atom—“unable to be cut” C. Anaxagoras: major proponent of atomic theory D. Pythagoras: first to propose the concept of the atom E. Aristarchus: inventor of the hydraulic screw

36. Which of the following is correct?

A. The retrograde motion of Mars can be explained in terms of the different speeds of Mars and Earth as they orbit the Sun

B. Ptolemy did not believe in the physical existence of crystalline spheres to which heavenly bodies were attached

C. The Renaissance refers to a time in Europe immediately after the collapse of the Roman Empire (around the year 500 CE)

D. Copernicus rejected the idea of a heliocentric model first proposed by Aristarchus

E. Copernicus stated that the farther a planet was from the Sun, the shorter its orbital period

 

 

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37. Which of the following is correct regarding Ptolemy?

A. The moon circles the Earth B. Retrograde motion has to do with planets actually moving backward C. Retrograde motion is explained via the construction of epicycles D. The stars and the Sun are not stationary E. The Earth circles the moon

38. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding the work of Copernicus?

A. Attempted to counter objections by preparing qualitative and not quantitative material

B. Attempted to be on the same footing mathematically as Ptolemy C. Provided many passages referencing deficiencies of the Ptolemaic system D. Felt his model would reflect a better design by a Creator as the observable

world was a symbol of the workings of the mind of God E. Was generally unsuccessful in persuading readers his system was close to

the mind and intent of God

39. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding Copernicus?

A. Martin Luther called him a fool and a heretic B. The Papacy eventually put his work on the Index of Forbidden Books C. Some Jewish communities forbade the teaching of his work D. Putting the Sun at the center of the universe appealed to many German

leaders of the Protestant Reformation as a symbol of the light of God at the center of the universe

E. Two supreme sources of knowledge at the time: the Bible and Aristotle

40. Which of the following is the correct?

A. Plato was a student of Aristotle and Aristotle was a student of Socrates B. Aristotle was as student of Plato and Plato was a student of Socrates C. Socrates was a student of Plato and Plato was a student of Aristotle D. Socrates was a student of Aristotle and Aristotle was a student of Plato E. Aristotle was a student of Socrates and Socrates was a student of Plato

41. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding the Tychonic model of the universe?

A. The Sun is at the center of the universe B. The Earth is at the center of the universe C. Avoids arguments against a moving Earth D. Recognized the failures of the Ptolemaic system E. Easier calculations as per the Copernican model

 

 

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42. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding Tycho Brahe?

A. English astronomer who first observed a supernova in Denmark B. Compiled more accurate astronomical observations and thus new data

produced C. As telescopes had not yet been invented, he designed and built sighting

tubes and pointer instruments D. He tracked the position of planets throughout their entire orbit E. Discovered that neither the Ptolemaic nor Copernican models worked with

his data

43. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding Tycho Brahe?

A. Earth is fixed at the center of a celestial sphere B. The Sun and the moon travel in orbits around the Earth C. Other planets revolve around the Sun D. Realized that the shape of planetary orbits must be elliptical E. Tychonic model generally accepted by most astronomers of the time

44. Which of the following is correct?

A. Tycho Brahe invented the telescope to observe a supernova B. Aristotelian physics maintained that the heavens were imperfect and

subject to change C. Giordano Bruno was a monk who advocated that Earth was unique among

all planets and that no other planet was like Earth D. In 1572 a new and bright star was observed over Western Europe that got

brighter than any other star or planet and then eventually faded E. Because he did away with circular orbits, Copernicus’ model was free of

problems

45. Copernicus was from:

A. Denmark B. Italy C. Poland D. England E. Germany

46. Most of the work undertaken by Pythagoras occurred where?

A. Ionia B. Italy C. Egypt D. Persia E. Poland

 

 

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47. Which of the following is NOT correct regarding the Copernican model?

A. No basic difference in outcomes with Ptolemaic model B. No fundamentally new experimental facts provided C. No greater accuracy in final predictions D. Data only worked in the Copernican model and not the Ptolemaic model E. Made many Christians uncomfortable in that Hell seemed very close and

Heaven very, very far away

48. Which of the following is NOT correct?

A. The Earth rotates from east to west at around 67,000 mph B. The Earth rotates from west to east C. The Earth revolves around the Sun at around 67,000 mph D. The atmosphere rotates with the Earth E. A moving Earth seemed to go against some Biblical scripture

49. Which of the following is NOT correct?

A. From Democritus we get the concept of the Atom B. Tycho Brahe put the Earth at the center of the universe C. Anaximander of Miletus is the first know person to conduct an experiment D. Thales of Miletus thought water was the underlying principle of all matter E. Science got its start in Ionia because of that culture’s obsession with hand

washing

50. Which of the following is correct?

A. Uranus was discovered by Ptolemy B. Uranus was discovered by Copernicus C. Uranus was discovered by Tycho Brahe D. Uranus was discovered by Galileo E. Uranus was discovered during the time of the American Revolution (1781)