Lesson 14.

Greek Views of Matter and

Motion
Objectives discuss Greek’s early
1 beliefs on matter and
At the end motion; and
of the
lesson, you explain early observable
should be 2 non-terrestrial motion.
able to:
 Learn about It!

Early View on Matter

Empedocles

• He argued that all things are

made up of four elements:
fire, air, water, and earth.

• He stated that the

combination and ratio of
the four elements dictate Empedocles
the properties of matter. (490 BC - 430 BC)
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Early View on Matter

Empedocles
• Stone contains a
high amount of
earth element
while a rabbit has a
high ratio of both
water and fire
elements Composition of matter based on the
four elements
 Learn about It!

The Existence of Atom

Democritus
• He coined the small pieces
of matter, atomos, which
means ‘indivisible’.

• He explained that atoms are

eternal and indestructible.
Democritus (460-370 BCE)
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The Existence of Atom

Democritus
• He proposed
that atomos are
specific to the
material that
they constitute. Atomos of stone is different from
atomos of fur.
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The Modern Atomic Theory

John Dalton
• He constructed and developed
the first version of the Atomic
Theory.

• He explained that matter must

be composed of tiny particles.
John Dalton (1766-1844)
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The Modern Atomic Theory

1. All matter is composed
of atoms.
2. All atoms of an element
are entirely identical.
3. Atoms are indestructible
and unchangeable.
4. Elements react to form
compounds in defined
Dalton’s symbols for some
ratios. elements and compounds
 Learn about It!

Aristotle’s View on Motion

• He believed that there
are two forms of
motion: natural and
violent.

Aristotle
(384 - 322 BCE)
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Aristotle’s View on Motion

• Natural motion is where
an object moves upward
and downward due to
the weight of the matter.

• Heavier things fall faster

than lighter things.

Heavier object falls faster than the

lighter object.
 Learn about It!

Aristotle’s View on Motion

• Violent motion is a product of
pushing or pulling caused by
humans.

• This type of motion is caused

by something.

• It can be either voluntary or

involuntary. Aristotle
(384 - 322 BCE)
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Aristotle’s View on Motion

• Example of a violent
motion: throwing a ball

• Violent motion always

require force for it to
occur.

A pitcher throwing the ball.

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Galileo’s Law of Motion

• All bodies move and
accelerate regardless of
its size and mass.

Galileo Galilei
(1564-1642)
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Galileo’s Law of Motion

Key observations regarding an object’s motion :
(1)development of the concept of velocity using inclined
planes
(2)development of the idea of force that causes the motion of
an object
(3)being at rest is the natural state of an object
(4)inertia is the resistance of an object to changes in its
motion
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Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Newton defined the
relationship between
motion and energy.

Isaac Newton
(1642 - 1727)
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Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton developed the following concepts:

(1)the principle of acceleration is the change in velocity that

was induced by force

(2)inertia is the resistance in change of velocity that is

proportional to the object’s mass

(3)momentum is the quantified motion energy that is

equivalent to the mass multiplied by the velocity
 Learn about It!

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion

(1)All objects remain at rest or in uniform motion along a
straight line unless acted by an external force.

(2)Object’s velocity changes when subjected to an external

force. Force is equal to change in momentum per time
interval.

(3)An action force has always an equal and opposite reaction

force.
 Learn about It!
Early Observable Nonterrestrial Motion
Diurnal Motion
• It refers to an apparent movement of
stars and other celestial bodies
around Earth.

• It is caused by Earth’s rotation from

west to east.

• If Earth is not spinning, the stars will

not appear to move westward, and
Diurnal motion of the stars
no diurnal motion will be observed. in a night sky.
 Learn about It!

Annual Motion
• It refers to the apparent yearly movement of the sun across
a background of stars.

• This movement is caused by Earth’s revolution around Sun.

• The ecliptic is the projected pathway of the sun with

regards to the stars.

• As the sun appears through the ecliptic, the zodiac which

consists of 12 ancient constellations appears.
 Learn about It!
Annual Motion

Zodiac constellations that appear due to annual motion.

 Learn about It!

Precession
• It refers to the conical motion of Earth’s
axis as it spins.

• Because of this, Earth’s axis shifts very

slowly, completing one cycle every 26 000
years.

• This axial precession is caused by the

gravity that continuously changes the
orientation of a planetary object’s Earth’s precision
rotational axis
Key Points

Empedocles​, a Greek philosopher who used to live in Sicily

from 492 BCE to 432 BCE, introduced the first theory in
1 describing things that surround us. He argued that all
things are made up of four elements, namely: fire, air,
water, and ​earth​.

Democritus (460 BCE - 370 BCE), who is also Greek

philosopher, proposed the presence of small pieces of
2 matter atomos, which means 'indivisible'​. He explained
that atomos are ​eternal ​and ​indestructible​.
Key Points

John Dalton​, a British scientist, is responsible for

3 constructing the details and developed the first version of
the ​atomic theory.

Aristotle introduced the concept of motion during the

4 Greek era. He believed that there are two forms of
motion, namely: ​natural and violent.

Galileo was the first person to lay down laws of motion for
5 objects with masses.
Key Points

6 Isaac Newton was able to develop the ​three laws of 8

motion​.
Diurnal motion refers to the apparent movement of stars
7 and other celestial bodies around the Earth.

Annual motion refers to the apparent yearly movement of

8 the sun across a background of stars.

Precession ​refers to the conical motion of Earth’s axis as it

9 spins.
 Check Your Understanding

Write true of the statement is correct,

otherwise, write the word false.
1. Motion of an object within the earth is called non-terrestrial
motion.
2. The ecliptic is the projected pathway of the sun with regards
to the stars.
3. An object at rest is in its natural form of motion.
4. Newton’s second law of motion says that the action or force
in nature has an equal and opposite reaction.
5. The involuntary motion refers to the ability of humans (as
well as other animals) to move because they have the will or
the capacity to do so.
 Challenge Yourself

Precision is a form of nonterrestrial motion

observed by the Greeks. What could be the effect of
this on the astronomical events observable on
Earth?
 Bibliography

Botkin, Daniel B. and Edward Keller. 2011. Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet: John Wiley
and Sons Inc.

Cunningham, William P. and Mary Ann Cunningham. 2010. Environmental Science: A Global Concern:
McGraw Hill.

Cutnell et al. 1995. Physics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hurd et al. 1988. Physical Science. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Mulligan, Joseph F. 1985. Introductory College Physics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Tipler, Paul Allen. 1999. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. New York: W.H. Freeman and
Company/Worth Publishers.

Zitzewitz et al., 1995. Physics, Principles and Problems. New York: McGraw-Hill.