Session:
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Histories Useful for Teaching Physics
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Paper Type:
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Contributed
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Title:
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The Spheres of Eudoxus
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Meeting:
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2014 Summer Meeting: Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Location:
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N/A |
Date:
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Time:
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2:00PM
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Author:
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Todd K. Timberlake, Berry College
706-368-5622, ttimberlake@berry.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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In the 4th Century BCE, the Greek astronomer and mathematician Eudoxus of Cnidus developed a geometrical model to explain the observed motion of the planets. His model consisted of a series of connected, rotating spheres, all centered on the Earth. I will discuss the key features of Eudoxus' model (as reconstructed by Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1875) and present an open-source computer simulation that illustrates the model. I will discuss both the successes and the flaws of this model, and explain how a basic understanding of Eudoxan astronomy can help students appreciate the power and beauty of the later Ptolemaic astronomy. The computer simulation is available from the Open Source Physics collection at www.compadre.org/osp/.
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Footnotes:
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None
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Presentation:
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Eudoxus.pdf
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