SHS

PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Quarter 2 – Week 2
Module 2: Aristolean and Galilean
Concept of Motion
Physical Science
Grade 11/12 Quarter 2 - Module 2: Aristolean and Galilean Concept of
Motion
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: MARY ANN M. BAUTISTA, T-II

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent

Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, PhD

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

German E. Flora, PhD, CID Chief

Virgilio C. Boado, PhD, EPS in Charge of LRMS

Rominel S. Sobremonte, Ed.D., EPS in Charge of Science

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II

Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

 Physical Science
Quarter 2 – Week 2
Module 2: Aristolean and
Galilean Concept of Motion
 Target

Three of the most acclaimed scientists of all time are Aristotle, Galileo and Newton.
Born at different periods in human history, each made a distinctive pioneering
contribution to scientific knowledge by providing enlightenment on different events
and human thoughts in the different aspects of the universe. In this module, you
shall learn how three different people, who never met each other had their ideas
meet in the laying down of the principles of one of nature’s component-----MOTION!
This module shall help us how each scientist, in his own time and with the available
resources, passionately pursued knowledge in order to provide humankind a level
of understanding of the things going on in the environment, particularly vertical
motion, horizontal motion and projectile motion. Their persistence, despite the
absence of the kind of technology that we have today, must have challenged the
scientists of our time to dig deeper so that the unknown may be known.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Compare and contrast the Aristotlean and Galilean conceptions of

vertical motion, horizontal motion and projectile
motion(S11/12PS-IVc-46)
2. Explain how Galileo inferred that objects in vacuum fall with
uniform acceleration, and that force is not necessary to sustain
horizontal motion(S11/12PS-1Vc-47)
3. Explain the subtle distinction between Newton’s First Law of Motion
( or Law of Inertia) and Galileo’s assertion that force is not necessary
to sustain horizontal motion (S11/12PS-1Vd-51)

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 Jumpstart

For you to understand the lesson well, do Activity 1. Have fun and good
luck!

Activity 1: Set ME in Motion!

To find out how much you know about this lesson, look for 5 words related to
Motion in 5 minutes or less WITHOUT HELP! (Clue 1- 3 diagonal, 1 horizontal, 1
vertical Clue 2 – 2 are names of scientists)

D M H G T R D L A B O R O A I
Y J M S H Y D P A E R F G N M
E N I X H G X L A C P U E H J
T H U N V T A J Q G I R O G N
R B I O E I S L P T T T M F N
E G K T T R W G I O B C R X B
T C O W T E T F A L G X F E D
U S E E W D D I I W E D D B V
D V P N E S T S A S C O E M R
F O R C E W L E G E N D R E F

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 Discover

A. Nature of Motion
According to www. britannica.com, motion, in Physics , is the change with time,
the position or orientation of a body.

Aristotelean Concepts on Motion

For Aristotle, a non-measurable force existed within an object that compels it to
behave in a certain manner. Motion is among the behaviors of an object. Aristotle
taught that motion was primarily determined by the nature of the substance that
was moving. He also said that motion can either be a natural motion or a violent
motion. Referring to natural motion, he maintained that an object will move and will
eventually return to its natural state depending on the composition of the object, and
as to violent motion, an object will move if an external force such as pushing or
pulling is applied to it. Here, force is considered as a controlling factor of the only
reason why there is motion
Aristotle also believed that the laws governing the motion of the heavens
were a different set of laws than those that governed motion on the earth.

Galilean Concepts on Motion

For Galileo, “Motion is a natural state which continue until altered” or motion
continued unless interfered with. He sees force as interference of motion rather than
cause of it as believed by Aristotle. After conducting experiments, he concluded that
without gravity to speed the descent and slow the ascent, and without friction,
objects would not start or stop moving at all. Unlike Aristotle , Galileo described
motion by introducing the concept of time and its relationship with space or location
as in the discovery of the acceleration due to gravity which is 9.8 m/s2.This means
that his description of motion included logic and mathematics.

B. Vertical Motion
For Aristotle, as mentioned earlier, the behavior of objects depends upon their
composition, so heavy objects, likes stones, tend to fall downwards. On the other
hand, light objects, such as fire, tend to move upwards. These behaviors --
gravity and levity or heaviness and lightness respectively-- were deemed by Aristotle
to be part of the essential nature of those objects. The significant point here is that
the factors determining the behavior of an object, all originate within the object to be
explained, and depend upon the unobservable nature of that object.
Galileo, on the other hand, conducted experiments from which he was able to show
that pure freefall acceleration is uniform and constant for all objects regardless of
their own size and weight, and that acceleration is 9.8 m/s 2. This means that all
objects, no matter how heavy or how light they are, fall to the ground with the same
acceleration which is due to gravity. This further means that it was Galileo who first
established the idea that all objects on the surface of the earth are being pulled by
the earth’s gravitational force at an acceleration of 9.8 m/s 2, so any object tossed
upward will surely fall back to the ground.

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C. Horizontal Motion
In terms of horizontal motion, Aristotle believes that objects move not by their nature
but because of impressed forces. This means that bodies need push or pull to
maintain horizontal motion.

As for Galileo, objects will move along the same plane with a motion which is uniform
and perpetual, provided the plane has no limits, meaning there are no interferences
such as friction.

D. Projectile Motion

Aristotle described projectile motion as motion of an object which is moving parallel

to the ground due to an ‘impetus’ until it is time for it to fall back into the ground.
Movement continues in straight line until the impetus is expended causing the
object to fall to the ground. ‘Impetus’ refers to a force, so this means that a stone
thrown horizontally continues to move in the same direction until the force is used
up which would cause the stone to fall to the ground.

Galileo established that the motion of a projectile is a combination of constant

horizontal velocity and vertical motion, in which the projectile accelerates at a rate
of 9.8 m s² . Recognizing that falling objects accelerate downward at the same
uniform rate even if they are moving horizontally allowed him to describe the motion
of projectiles. algebra

E. Acceleration in a Vacuum
It was mentioned earlier that friction is an interference to motion. This means the
presence of friction can slow down or stop motion. This can be understood easily on
a visibly rough surface. But what about in air that we can’t see, is there friction? Yes,
we call this air resistance.

Suggested Action 1: From the same height, drop a basketball and a piece of
paper? Which will reach the ground first?
Answer: Basketball
Suggested Action 2: Crumple the paper you used in action 1, and repeat Action 1.
Which will reach the ground first?

Answer: Both hit the ground at the same time.

Why? Air resistance is present in both instances, but it was lessened in Action 2 due
to the decrease in the volume of the piece of paper because it was crumpled. Air
resistance offers opposition to motion, slowing down a moving object.

The above observations were made by Galileo during his time which led him to
conclude that all objects fall with the uniform acceleration in vacuum. A vacuum is
a place where there is no air, therefore, no air resistance. This is because in a vacuum
there would be no interference to motion, so nothing affects the falling object except
gravity.

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F. Difference Between Galileo’s Assertion of Frictionless Motion and Newton’s Law
of Inertia
Galileo’s Assertion: If friction were absent, a rolling ball would continue to move with
constant velocity, unless a push or pull compels it to change state.
Newton’s Law on Inertia: A body remains at rest or moves in straight line of constant
velocity if no external forces act on it.

What is the difference between the two ideas? It is the terminology used by the two
scientists. Galileo used the terms push or pull; Newton made use of the term force.

Explore

Activity 2. Thinker Bell

Direction: Complete the table by describing the three concepts according to the
thoughts of Galileo and Aristotle. One phrase or sentence is enough.

Scientist Basic Concept Vertical Projectile

on Motion Motion Motion
Aristotle (384 B.C.E.-
322 B.C.E.)Greek

Galileo Galilei (1564-

1642) Italian

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 Deepen

Activity 3. I Second the Motion!

One of Albert Einstein’s well-known quote is , “Nothing happens until something

moves”. According to another author, “Motion is life. Lack of motion is death.”

Write a 5-10 sentence reflection on the importance of motion in life. Cite instances
in the things you do every day that require motion- sports, gardening/agriculture,
health(jogging, running), hobbies – cooking, dancing. Be guided by the following
rubrics.

Poor 4 Fair 5- Good 8-10 points

Indicators point 7points

No. of sentences 1 sentence only 2-3 sentences

4-6 sentences
Importance of More than 4 Importance of
motion is motion are well explained.
Importance of mentioned only 2-3 importance
Motion/movement in a sentence, are explained.
but not
explained.
4-6 sentences are evidently
2-3 sentences and sequenced logically in
Organization of No clear flow of
are related to relation to importance of
Paragraph thought.
each other. motion/movement

4 or more
1-3 erasures
Neatness and erasures are
are evident, 1-
legible committed, The paragraph is neat and
3 words are
handwriting are more than 5 words are legible.
not clearly
evident words are not
written.
clearly written.

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 Gauge

Read and analyze each question then choose the correct answer. write the letter of
your choice on a SEPARATE sheet of paper.
1. What did Galileo prove to be the same in all falling objects?
A. energy B. acceleration C. speed D. velocity

2. What material did Galileo use to study the acceleration of a falling body?
A. balls C. inclined planes
B. horizontal planes D. rings

3. Which of the following is an example of a violent motion?

A. water flowing in a river C. a dropped pen falling to the ground
B. a ball kicked from the ground D. rocks falling from a mountain

4. What example does a leaping frog represent?

A free fall C. projectile motion
B. natural motion D. violent motion
5.Which of the following BEST explains why Aristotle’s view on motion stood for
many years?
A. Aristotle’s ideas are readily proven through observation.
B. Aristotle was a very influential Greek philosopher.
C. People at the time were gullible to the ideas of the philosophers.
D. Aristotle supported his ideas with laboratory experimentation.
6. According to Aristotle, which of the following is TRUE about this scenario? The
shooting of an arrow shows a _________
A. violent motion. C. projectile motion.
B. natural motion. D. free fall motion.
7. Which of the following statements AGREES with Galileo’s concept of falling
objects? Falling objects fall with_________
A. changing acceleration. C. changing speed.
B. constant acceleration. D. constant speed.

8. Three objects A, B, and C with mass 5 kg, 8 kg, and 15 kg, respectively, were
dropped simultaneously. Neglecting air resistance, which object will reach the
ground FIRST?
A. Objects A, B & C C. Object C
B. Object B D. Object A

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9.If you were Galileo, answer the following question: Why does a bowling ball and
feather hit the ground at varying times when dropped from the same height?
A. They don’t, they hit the ground at the same time.
B. One is denser than the other.
C. One is heavier than the other.
D. air resistance

10.Evaluate the following statement: The more mass an object has, the faster it will
fall.
A. True C. False
B. Galileo - True; Aristotle- False D. Galileo- False ; Aristotle – True

11. What kind of terrestrial motion is portrayed by a free-falling object in

accordance to Aristotle’s belief?
A. alteration B. celestial C. natural D. violent

12. Based from Aristotelian Physics, what was natural for planets to do in terms of
their type of motion?
A. The orbit in circular motion
B. They orbit in elliptical motion
C. They orbit in triangular motion
D. They orbit in no particular consistent shape

13. What is idea used by Aristotle to explain how objects sustain their horizontal
motion?
A. antiperistasis C. violent motion
B. projectile motion D. large amount of force applied

14. Aristotle explained that the object moves depending on the natural motion of
the dominant element of that object. Which among the following element-
motion pairs are CORRECTLY matched?
A. earth – circular C. water – fall
B. fire – fall D. celestial – retrograde

15. According to Galileo, force is need to what?

A. oppose the motion of the object
B. change the speed of the object
C. sustain the motion of the object
D. change the direction of the object
.

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Answer Key
Activity 1

F E R D N E G E L W E C R O F
R M E O C S A S T S E N P V D
V B D D E W I I D D W E E S U
D E F X G L A F T E T W O C T
B X R C B 1 I G W R T T K G E
N F M T T T P L S I E O I B R
N G O R I G Q J A T V N U H T
J H E U P C A L X G H X I N E
M N G F R E A P D Y H S M J Y
I A O R O B A L D R T G H M D

Activity 2 Gauge

Motion Vertical Projectile 15. B

Motion Motion 14. C
Aristotle (May Objects find Object in 13. B
vary)Natural their rest horizontal 12. B
& violent motion falls 11. C
when 10. D
impetus is 9. C
used 8. A
up(may 7. C
vary) 6. B
Galileo Unnatural Acceleration Combination 5. C
state (may is the same of vertical 4. B
vary) for all motion & 3. C
objects. horizontal 2. B
motion(may 1. B
vary)

Activity 3
Answers may vary. Refer to the rubrics given

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References
Abruzzi, William S. (2004). Aristotelian vs. Galilean Forms of Explanation(Retrieved
October 24, 2020 from http://www.drabruzzi.com/aristotelian_vs_galileian.
htm

Canoy, Warlito Z. How Galileo Inferred That Objects in Vacuum Fall with Uniform
Acceleration(2019, December 12) Retrieved October 24, 2020 from
https://www.facebook.com/notes/physical-science/71-aristotelian-
vertical-motion-horizontal-motion-and-projectile-mot/

Motion(n.d).Retrieved October 2,2020 from https://www.britannica.com/science/

motion-mechanics

Newton’s Laws of Motion, The Physics of Aristotle Versus the Physics of Galileo.
Retrieved October 17, 2020 from http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~black
man/ ast104/dynamics13.html

Newton’s Laws of Motion(n. d.) Retrieved October 2, 2020 from

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ K-12/airplane/newton.

The New Physics.(1998). Retrieved October 17, 2020 from

https://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/instruct/natsci/science/brill/sci122
Programs/p14/p14.html

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