Re: [Phys-l] Centrifugal redux

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

There was an article, I think in TPT which looked at the Aristotelian ideas.
Of course one needs a force to keep things going on the Earth, because of
friction.  However, he also wrote as I recall a statement to the effect that
things would keep going unless stopped by a force.  He came close to getting
it right.  I remember being surprised at this piece of history, so I am
fairly sure I actually read it.

Now does anyone remember the actual article?

I do know that impetus was a medieval invention.  It turns out that some
medieval ideas have been attributed to Aristotle.

Unfortunately, incorrect history is recopied from one text to the next
despite articles in AJP and TPT which have actually researched the real
history.  There was an editorial in a recent AJP exposing some of these
"misconceptions".

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> I always thought (and textbooks say) that Aristotle believed that a force
> was needed to keep an object moving. At that time, the natural state of
> motion was one of rest. They thought that heavier object fell faster (they
> actually do with air), etc...
>
> Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> writes:
> > And medieval scholars did not pay attention to or did not understand
> > Aristotle.  As I understand he did write a statement of Newton's first
> > law.
> > He apparently recognized that things keep on going unless acted upon by a
> > force.  So even if he had written more that was Newtonian, later scholars
> > might have rejected it because of their persistent preconceptions.
> >
> > Modern students actually have conceptions which are in some ways closer
> to
> > medieval science than to Aristotle.  Impetus has been attributed to
> > medieval
> > scholars.
> >
> > John M. Clement
> > Houston, TX
> >
> > > > If only Aristotle had one of these, science would probably be more
> > > > advanced than what it is today!
> > >
> > > 	I doubt it.
> > >
> > > 	Aristotle already KNEW the answers and didn't let observations
> > > interfere with his 'knowledge'.
> > >
> > > 	His attitude is shared by a number of modern students.
> >
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>
>
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