History Fact Finder | Eras and Their Highlights - What Was The Scientific Revolution?

What was the scientific revolution?

The scientific revolution was a movement that took place in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Europe. During this time scientists began to apply what is known as the scientific method, whereby they used observation, experimentation, and special tools to discover the laws of nature. These newly invented tools included the microscope, thermometer, sextant (an instrument used by navigators to find the position of a ship), and slide rule (an instrument used to make rapid calculations). Among the most famous scientific thinkers were English mathematician Isaac Newton (1642–1727), English chemist Joseph Priestley (1733–1804), and French mathematician René Descartes (1596–1650). Scientists made revolutionary discoveries in astronomy (the study of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars), mathematics, and physics (the study of matter and energy), which became part of science...

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