

This principle is called the principle of inertia. This latter claim states that a body in motion will continue its motion so long as no factor disturbs that motion. Galileo's claim that force causes acceleration is inseparable from his claim that bodies do not require a cause to continue their movement. In other words, a constant force does not lead to constant speed but to constant acceleration. On the basis of the law of parabolic fall, Galileo reached the conclusion that bodies fall on the surface of the earth at a constant acceleration, and that the force of gravity which causes all bodies to move downward is a constant force. Galileo showed that force causes acceleration.

In the period before Galileo, scientists thought that force causes speed, as claimed by Aristotle. This law leads to the conclusion that the speed of a body increases in direct proportion to the passage of time. In the laboratory you may determine the angle of the inclined plane, the distance to beĪ reminder - the law of fall states that the distance traveled by a falling body is directly proportional to the square of the time it takes to fall. In order to convince yourself that the law is correct, you are invited to conduct a series of laboratory tests.

The law of parabolic fall claims that the distance traveled by a falling body is directly proportional to the square of the time it takes to fall.įor example: A stone falling for twice as long as another stone will travel four times the distance.Ī ball falling for three seconds will travel nine times the distance traveled by a ball falling for one second. The law deals with the falling of bodies.
