Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei Founder of Modern Science

Charlotte Fryar 2005

Early Life

Galileo was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy. He entered a monastery at the age of eleven and stayed for four years.

Education j

In 1581 he entered the University of Pisa for a medicinal degree. He had to graduate without a degree due to lack of money and afterwards, tutored students.

Early Scientific Interests According to legend, he dropped two cannonballs off the Tower of Pisa. He made the correct assumption that both would hit at the same time, regardless of weight.

Lateral Motion Galileo discovered that lateral motion doesn’t change how fast the object moves. The ball in the cannon is demonstrating lateral motion. Both of these balls will hit at the same time.

Pendulums

Galileo discovered that length of the string that the weight is attached to depends on how fast the pendulum moves back and forth.

Thermometers Galileo invented the first thermometer. The colors of the glass balls pertain to different temperatures and rise and fall in the water depending on temperature.

Writing Works

Galileo wrote many books and pamphlets, including Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.

Astronomical Discoveries In 1610, he made improvements on the first telescope. In the next few years he discovered four moons of Jupiter, phases of the moon and Venus, and sunspots.

An Important Theory

Galileo supported Copernicus’s theory that the earth revolved around the sun which got him in trouble.

Beginning Trouble

Galileo’s enemies (the ones that didn’t support Copernicus’s theory) got him in trouble with the Catholic Church, who requested him to come to Rome to see his views on Orthodoxy. He got off the charge on a warning.

Roman Catholic Church The second time he was arrested for the same reason as the first. He was sentenced to life in prison but because he was too old (79) they sentenced him to house arrest for the rest of his life.

House Arrest and Death During his time in house arrest he became blind in both eyes but still continued to work with physics until he died on January 8, 1652.

All About Me!!!! Hey! My name is Charlotte Fryar and I’m in the 7th grade at Hanes Middle School. I love penguins, cats, and cold weather. I have lived in three different places in North Carolina.

Bibliography • Paul P. Siperia. “Galileo.” Biographical

Encyclopedia of Scientist. 1998 ed.

•Milton Lomask. Great Lives. New York: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Divison, 1991. •“Galileo.” World Book. 2003. •David Abbot. The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. New York:Peter Bedrick Books, 1984. • J.G. Crowther. Six Great Scientists. Barnes and Nobles, 1995.