Weight Concept: From Aristotle to Newton and Then to Einstein

Igal Galili*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

The concept of weight emerged in physics through the periods of Ancient Greece, the medieval world, the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century, classical mechanics, and modern physics. Along the way, the knowledge and the method of knowledge construction changed; they are connected to each other. Weight was always among the fundamental concepts of mechanical theories, and its definition changed until it was finalized in the twentieth century. However, school curricula in many countries did not copy this progress and remained with the Newtonian definition of weight. In contrast, some textbooks define weight in the modern way, matching the equivalence principle of Einstein and modern epistemology. Following the conceptual growth along the history and philosophy of science brings familiarity with the scientific discourse and promotes construction of the cultural content knowledge of weight and its relation to gravitation. The implications for the teaching of weight drawing on the results of physics education research are considered, being illustrated with a brief review of weight impact on society, situations of everyday life on our planet and beyond.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationScience
Subtitle of host publicationPhilosophy, History and Education
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages191-242
Number of pages52
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Publication series

NameScience: Philosophy, History and Education
ISSN (Print)2520-8594
ISSN (Electronic)2520-8608

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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