You saw in the previous chapter that the proposal that the Earth moves caused all sorts of problems for the Earth-centered view of the Universe—as well as for theology, philosophy, and just plain common sense. If the Earth really is moving around the Sun, then what keeps the heavy Earth on its orbit? The ground beneath our feet must be moving very fast, so why do heavy objects fall straight down, instead of hitting behind the spot over which they are released?
KeywordsGravitational Force Free Fall Circular Motion Space Shuttle Natural Motion
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
- G. Holton and S.G. Brush, Physics, The Human Adventure (Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2001), Chapters 8–10.Google Scholar
- R.S. Westfall, The Construction of Modern Science: Mechanisms and Mechanics ( New York: Cambridge University Press, 1978 ).Google Scholar
- T.S. Kuhn, The Copernican Revolution: Planetary Astronomy in the Development of Western Thought ( Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982 ).Google Scholar