Ancient Physics

Question 1

When did Thales live?

Answer 1

ca. 624-546 BCE

Question 2

What was Thales one of the founders of?

Answer 2

One of the ‘Seven Sages of Greece’

Philosophical ‘school’

Question 3

What was the first philosophical called?

Answer 3

Milesian school

Question 4

Where was the first philosophical located?

Answer 4

Modern day Turkey

In Ionian city of Miletus

Question 5

Who are two of Thales’ well known students?

Answer 5

Anaximander (ca. 620-546 BCE)

Anaximenes (ca. 585-525 BCE)

Question 6

What did Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes come up with?

Answer 6

The first theories of the material universe.

Question 7

What was their essence of matter theory to search for?

Answer 7

‘Quintessential material substance’

Greek called ‘arche’

Question 8

What did Thales consider was the essential substance?

Answer 8

Water because in his observations it played a role in making other types of matter.

Question 9

What did Anaximander believe was the essential substance?

Answer 9

A theoretical material he called ‘apeiron’

Question 10

What is ‘apeiron’ Greek for?

Answer 10

Infinite

Question 11

What did Anaximenes believe was the essential substance?

Answer 11

Air

Question 12

What was the idea of change in the Milesian theory?

Answer 12

If all could be reduced to a single, constant, unstoppable change taking place inside it- transforming one element into another.

Question 13

What did Thales predict using astronomy

Answer 13

The solar eclipse that brought to a halt a battle between the Lydians and the Medes.

Question 14

When was the eclipse predicted?

Answer 14

May 28th, 585 BCE

Question 15

Why did the eclipse stop the war?

Answer 15

They thought it was a message from the gods and decide to call a truce.

Question 16

Who was opponents of Thales?

Answer 16

Parmenides (early 15th century)
Zeno of Elea (mid 15th century)
Melissus of Samos (15th century)

Question 17

What did Parmenides believe?

Answer 17

That change is impossible, illogical, and illusory.

Question 18

Who is Parmenides later influence?

Answer 18

Democritus, Plato, Zeno of Elea

Question 19

What did Zeno of Elea invent?

Answer 19

A number of logical paradoxes to prove that change is impossible.

Question 20

How were Zeno of Elda’s paradoxes solves?

Answer 20

The development of calculus in 17th century.

Question 21

What did Melissus of Samos believe?

Answer 21

The physical world is a constant, rather than changing.

Question 22

What did Melissus of Samos refer to everything as?

Answer 22

‘The One’

Question 23

Quote about Thales

Answer 23

‘Philosophy begins with Thales’- Bertrand Russell.

Question 24

When did Democritus do most of his work?

Answer 24

449 and 400 BCE

Question 25

What does the Greek word for atoms mean?

Answer 25

‘Uncuttable’

Question 26

What was Democritus known for?

Answer 26

The ‘laughing philosopher’ for his cheerfulness and optimism.

Question 27

How did Democritus explain his theory of atoms?

Answer 27

A sandy beach- the sand looks like a single substance from afar but it is tiny grains of sand.

Question 28

What did Democritus call the tiny pieces of matter?

Answer 28

Atoms.

Question 29

How many years was the first atomic theory neglected for?

Answer 29

More than 2,000 years before being picked up by Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton.

Question 30

Was Democritus the Atomists or the Elementalists?

Answer 30

The Atomists.

Question 31

What was Democritus’ rival theory?

Answer 31

The theory of Empedocles.

Question 32

What is the theory of Empedocles?

Answer 32

Empedocles believes that matter consisted of Earth, fire, air, and water- he developed it. Change was the mixing and separating of the four elements.

Question 33

What did Empedocles believe was the mixing and separating driven by?

Answer 33

Opposite forces of love and strife. | Love bound elements together and strife tore them apart.

Question 34

When was Plato born?

Answer 34

438 BCE

Question 35

What did Plato add to the theory of Empedocles?

Answer 35

Platonic solids.

Question 36

What did Plato believe?

Answer 36

The four substances were not continuous but made of tiny invisible particles- geometric shaped.

Question 37

What is special about the Platonic solids?

Answer 37

They are the only shapes whose faces, sides, and angles are identical to one another.

Question 38

What was each shape?

Answer 38

``` Tetrahedron(triangular pyramid): fire Hexahedron(cube): earth Octahedron(8 sides): air Dodecahedron(12 sides) Icosahedrons(20 sides): water ```

Question 39

Where was Aristotle born?

Answer 39

The town of Stageria in the eastern Greek province in Chalcidice.

Question 40

When was Aristotle born?

Answer 40

384 BCE

Question 41

At 18 where did Aristotle go?

Answer 41

The Academy, Plato’s famed school for thinkers in Athens, where he remained nearly 2 decades until the death of his teacher.

Question 42

Where did Aristotle go next?

Answer 42

Asia Minor (Anatolia) where he studies botany and zoology.

Question 43

Where was Aristotle invites next?

Answer 43

By King Philip II of Maxedonia to become a personal tutor of- later known as Alexander the Great.