Physical Science

Quarter 2 – Module 4
The Aristotelian and Galilean
Conceptions of Vertical,
Horizontal, and Projectile
Motions
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the Aristotelian and Galilean conceptions of motion: vertical motion, horizontal
motion, and projectile motion. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the
textbook you are now using.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe the Aristotelian concepts of vertical motion, horizontal motion, and

projectile motion;

2. describe the concepts of vertical motion, horizontal motion, and projectile

motion according to Galileo; and

3. compare and contrast the Aristotelian and Galilean conceptions of vertical

motion, horizontal motion, and projectile motion.

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 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Who was the Italian physicist who played a major role in the scientific
revolution, studied natural forces and conducted theoretical and
experimental work on motions of bodies?
a. Galileo Galilei
b. Isaac Newton
c. Johannes Kepler
d. Tycho Brahe
2. Who claimed that heavy and light objects drop in the same way?
a. Aristotle
b. Copernicus
c. Galileo
d. Ptolemy
3. What are the two classes of motion according to Aristotle?
a. Natural motion and dynamic motion
b. Natural motion and sliding motion
c. Natural motion and violent motion
d. Natural motion and weak motion
4. Which of the following is an example of natural motion according to Aristotle?
a. A smoke rises.
b. A kicked soccer ball.
c. A pulled bag.
d. A pushed trolley.
5. Which of the following is an example of a violent motion?
a. An air moving upward.
b. A laptop pushed along the table
c. A vase dropped from the window
d. A water falling
6. Sacks of rice are donated during this pandemic. A sack of rice is pulled by a
volunteer to be given to Ezekiel’s family. According to Aristotle, which of the
following is true about this scenario?
a. The sack of rice experiences momentum.
b. The sack of rice experiences a violent motion.
c. The sack of rice experiences projectile motion.
d. The sack of rice experiences a natural motion.

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7. Which of the following agrees with Galileo’s view of motion?
a. The air rises because the sky is its natural state.
b. The cotton ball will be as fast as the metal ball if dropped in a vacuum.
c. The natural tendency of a mobile phone dropped from a certain height
is to go back to Earth, its natural state.
d. The 5.0kg boulder will stop midway when dropped to the sea.
8. What is true about Aristotle’s theory of motion?
a. Objects fall faster in air than water.
b. The fall of heavy object toward the center of the earth is a violent
motion.
c. The increase in the rate of motion is inversely proportional to the
weight of the object.
d. The object will continue to move even without an external force
applied.
9. What is the belief of Galileo on an object in uniform motion?

a. An object in uniform motion will travel a distance that is proportional

to acceleration.
b. An object in uniform motion will travel a distance that is proportional
to motion.
c. An object in uniform motion will travel a distance that is proportional
to speed.
d. An object in uniform motion will travel a distance that is proportional
to time.
10. Based on Galileo’s experiments, when do you say that motion is uniformly
accelerated?
a. When speed is proportional to time of travel.
b. When speed is proportional to distance.
c. When speed is proportional to acceleration.
d. When speed is proportional to distance velocity.
11. What is the concept of Galileo of a projectile?
a. A projectile is a moving object that will continue to move if it is
impeded, and external force is needed to move it continuously.
b. A projectile is an object in motion, if unimpeded, will cease to move.
c. A projectile is composed of uniform motion in the horizontal direction
and uniformly accelerated motion in the vertical direction.
d. A projectile is composed of uniform motion in the vertical direction and
uniformly accelerated motion in the horizontal direction.
12. What is the relationship between the vertical and horizontal motions based
on Galileo’s concept of projectile motion?
e. The two motions are dependent on each other.
f. The two motions are independent of each other.
g. Vertical motion does affect the horizontal motion.
h. When vertical motion is fast, the same is true with the horizontal
motion.

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 13. Which of the following objects A, B, or C with masses 3 kg, 6 kg, and 9 kg
respectively will reach the ground first neglecting air resistance?
a. Object A will reach the ground first.
b. Object B will reach the ground first.
c. Object C will reach the ground first.
d. The three objects will reach the ground at the same time.
14. Which of the following is true about the projectile of an arrow when shot?
a. It rises because its particles are mostly air.
b. It has continued applied force from the person who shot the arrow.
c. It has both uniform motion and uniformly accelerating motion.
d. It creates a vacuum that sucks air in, and the air pushes the arrow.
15. Jamir and Jake are flying their kites. While running fast, Jamir accidentally
released his kite. He watched it as it slowly rises in the air. According to
Aristotle, which of the following statements is true about the situation?
a. The kite experienced a free fall motion.
b. The kite experienced a violent motion.
c. The kite experienced a projectile motion.
d. The kite experienced a natural motion

The Aristotelian and Galilean

Lesson
Conceptions of Vertical,
1 Horizontal and Projectile
Motions
Motion is the action of changing location or position. Life is motion. From the
coordination of the muscles of our body which enables us to walk, run, and dance to
the pumping of our hearts to deliver blood to the different parts of our bodies are
motion.
The first evidence of the study of the motion of heavenly bodies can be traced
back to the people of Sumeria and Egypt. While the Greeks were the first ones to
study systematically and in detail the heavenly bodies. They regarded the Earth as
the center of the universe, geocentric. This idea of geocentric earth was replaced by
the heliocentric model of Nicolaus Copernicus, where earth and other planets revolve
in circular orbits around the Sun.
These early studies were the foundations of Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist
to revolutionized Science.

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 What’s In

To get started, you have to choose the terms or names of persons related
to motion from the WORD POOL below. List down these words/names on the
table and write what you know about it.

Heliocentric cannonball Aristotle Kepler

feather hammer Galileo Copernicus geocentric

Ptolemy leaning tower of Pisa

distance inertia acceleration

Term/Name of Person What I know about it?

Notes to the Teacher

Ask learners to name other examples of motion and list them on
the board. Add on the list examples that are not mentioned by
the learners.

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 What’s New

Activity 1.1
The timeline below shows the different personalities involved in the Ancient Greek
Astronomy and during the time of Galileo and Isaac Newton.

Activity 1.1 Guide Questions:

1. Who were the Ancient Greek Astronomers who studied the motion of heavenly
bodies from Aristotle to the year 200 AD?
2. Who were those Astronomers who made contributions to the study of heavenly
bodies from 1400 to the time of Galileo Galilei?
3. Do you think that our current understanding on the physics of motion
happened overnight? Support your answer.
4. What do think were the bases of the different astronomers or natural
philosophers in their explanations of motion?
Our current understanding on the physics of motion did not happen
overnight. Instead, it gradually developed as philosophers took up previously held
philosophies and improved on it or gave critique identifying possible weakness or
inconsistencies with observations.

One such philosophical concept held is the philosophy behind motion in two
particular points, namely, the existence of one unifying explanation for the horizontal
and vertical motions and how projectile motions can be derived from the two and the
quantification of the “rate of fall” or “acceleration”.

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 Aristotle held that the Universe was divided into two regions, the terrestrial
region and the celestial region. He also divided motion into two main classes which
are natural motion and violent motion. On the other hand, Galileo Galilei believed
that a projectile motion is a combination of uniform motion in the horizontal direction
and uniformly accelerated motion in the vertical direction.

What is It

I. Aristotle’s Concept of Vertical Motion, Horizontal Motion, and

Projectile Motion

1. Vertical Motion
Vertical motion is referred to as natural motion. In a natural motion, the
object will move and will return to its natural state based on the object's material
or composition - earth, water, air, and fire.

• For example, Aristotle believed that because a ball fell

when thrown upward, its element was earth.

• Smoke goes up the air because it seeks its natural place

in the atmosphere.

• Aristotelian concept of natural motion is largely vertical

motion which is falling or rising.

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2. Horizontal Motion
An object moving in a violent motion requires push or pull to maintain
horizontal motion. Motion continues only so long as there is an applied force to an
object. When the force is removed, motion stops.

• The example at the right

shows piled boxes of food donations. The
boxes will remain on the floor unless a
push or a pull force is applied.

• Violent motion is imposed

motion caused by pushing or pulling.

• Aristotle classified any motion that required a force as a "violent

motion". (He did not mean violent in the sense that it is marked by the use of
harmful or destructive physical force.)

3. Projectile Motion
Aristotle believed that the projectile motion of an object is parallel to the ground
until it is the object's time to fall back into the ground. An impetus will be kept by
the object until such time that the initial force is forgotten, and the object returns to
its natural state to stop moving and fall to the ground.
He viewed projectile motion as natural and violent motion. He said that heavy
objects fall faster than light ones.

The illustration shows an example of cannon fired which gives

the cannonball an impetus.

A notorious problem for the Aristotelian view was why arrows shot from a
bow continued to fly through the air after they had left the bow and
the string was no longer applying force to them.

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Aristotle's Explanation:

• Initial motive force transfers to the medium initially surrounding the

object a "power" to act as a motive force.

Air flow

• Medium then forces object into new region, which is then imparted with
the "power" to act.

Power transfer

II. Galileo’s Concept of Vertical Motion, Horizontal Motion, and

Projectile Motion
1. Vertical Motion
In the absence of a resistance, objects would fall not depending on their
weight, but in the time of fall. Also, if the object encountered a resistive force from a
fluid equal or greater than its weight, it will slow down and reaches a uniform motion
until it reaches the bottom and stops.

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 • For example, without any
resistance, a 1-kg object will
be as fast as a 10-kg object when
falling because they fall
with the same
amount of
time, given that they are
released from the same height.

• Also, a stone dropped in the

ocean will sooner or later
travel at constant speed.

2. Horizontal Motion
An object in motion, if unimpeded, will continue to be in motion, and an
external force is not necessary to maintain the motion. If the Earth’s surface is very
flat and extended infinitely, objects that are pushed will not be impeded. Thus, the
objects will continue to move. This kind of motion, however, is not evident in nature.

For example, if a ball is pushed on an infinitely flat plane, the ball will continue to
roll if unimpeded.

3. Projectile Motion
Galileo performed experiments on uniformly accelerated motion using an
inclined plane, and used the same apparatus to study projectile motion.
• Galileo was credited for quantifying the “rate of fall” by measurement of
distance and time and plotting it graphically. He was able to slow down the “fall”
using ramps rather than viscous materials as Aristotle did resulting to significantly
different conclusions related to the “rate of fall”.
• He correctly measured motion in two independent directions (horizontal
and vertical) and deduced that the “rate of fall” is better measured in terms of
downward acceleration.
• He used geometry to provide better description (kinematics) of projectile
motion whereby horizontal motion has zero acceleration (constant speed horizontally)
and content vertical acceleration.
• By varying the ball's horizontal velocity and vertical drop, Galileo was
able to determine that the path of a projectile is parabolic.

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 • He believed that a projectile is a combination of uniform motion in the
horizontal direction and uniformly accelerated motion in the vertical direction. If it is
not impeded, it will continue to move even without an applied force.
• For example, when you shoot a ball in a basketball ring, the ball does
not need a force to keep it moving.

What’s More

Activity 1.2 Mini Lab: Aristotle or Galileo?

Test the following activities below. Take note that in every activity, both
objects should be dropped at the same time and at the same height. (In choosing
the height, be sure that you are safe).

1. Drop a book and a flat sheet of paper.

2. Drop a book and a sheet of paper crumpled to a ball.
3. Drop a book with a small flat sheet of paper on top of it.

Activity 1.2 Guide Questions

1. In all three cases, which object reaches the ground first?
2. In activity 1, what causes the flat sheet of paper to move sideways?
3. In activities 2 and 3, why did the objects fall at the same rate regardless of
their masses?
4. Whose view is more acceptable? Why?

What I Have Learned

Activity 1.3 Table Summary

Summarize your understanding about the Aristotelian and Galilean conceptions of
motion by filling out the table below. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answer.

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 ARISTOTELIAN Description Examples
Horizontal Motion

Vertical Motion

Projectile Motion

GALILEAN Description Examples

Horizontal Motion

Vertical Motion

Projectile Motion

What I Can Do

Activity 1.4 Create your own five-minute Experiment video of a ball

rolling on a table.
Rubric for Grading
The video will be scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. The criteria for grading
are as follows:
Criteria Expectations
Visuals The video is clear and engaging. Camera shots tell the story
visually and no lighting problems.
Audio Loudness and dialogue are balanced. Spoken words show
confidence and are convincing.
Content Delivery of content is precise and complete. Emphasis given
should be based on the discussion.
Timeliness The video should consume the required 5 minutes. For every
less or added minute/s, points will be deducted.

Assessment

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Modified True or False. Read each statement carefully. Write True if the statement
is correct and if FALSE, change the italicized word or group of words to make the
statement correct. Use a separate paper for your answer.
_______________1. Aristotle claimed that violent motion is an imposed motion.

______________2. In natural motion, an object will move and will eventually return to
its natural state depending on the composition that the object is made of.

_______________3. According to Galileo, heavy objects will fall faster than light ones.

_______________4. Aristotle said that to keep the object moving in horizontal motion,
a constant amount of force is needed.
_______________5. Objects dropped simultaneously will reach the ground at the same
time regardless of their masses and air resistance.

_______________6. Galileo concluded that the path taken by a projectile is parabolic.

_______________7. Galileo used an inclined plane to perform his experiments both on

uniformly accelerated motion and to study projectile motion.
_______________8. Aristotle believed that a projectile is a combination of uniform
motion in the horizontal direction and uniformly accelerated motion in the vertical
direction.
_______________9. A kicked ball is an example of a natural motion.

_______________10. Vertical motion does affect the horizontal motion of a projectile.

_______________11. The “rate of fall” of an object is better measured in terms of

upward acceleration.

_______________12. According to Galileo, a stone dropped in the ocean will sooner or

later travel at constant speed.

_______________13. In Galileo’s view of vertical motion, the fall of the object is

dependent on its weight.

_______________14. To Galileo, natural motion is largely vertical motion.

_______________15. The fall of heavy object toward the center of the

earth is a violent motion.

Additional Activities

Activity 1.5 Mini Lab

Given two one-peso coins, released at the same time, Coin A is dropped while
Coin B is thrown horizontally coming from the same height. Which one do you think
would reach the ground first? Use a sheet of paper for your observations.

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