What differentiates science and non-science? According to the modern definition of science, the Ancient Greeks were not scientists but rather philosophers. Their investigations were performed in an unscientific manner, as is illustrated by Aristotle and his conclusions about the properties of water. Before studying water, Aristotle discovered that matter existed in three main categories: solid, liquid, and gas. He concluded that a solid was the least expanded of the three and verified this by seeing that a solid always sank in a liquid of the same type. However, when Aristotle encountered water, he saw that it had properties that contradicted his previous categorization. In order to reconcile this disparity, he postulated that water was an exception and that the shape of solid water caused it to stay afloat. This, of course, is incorrect.

To the contrary, the studies of Galileo Galilei followed a certain self-made doctrine for gathering data and performing scientific experiments. Galileo’s method forced one to first form a hypothesis, then design an experiment to confirm or deny this hypothesis, and then accept or discard the hypothesis based on one’s findings. Using this method, Galileo disproved many commonly held misconceptions about the rules of physics. In one of his more famous experiments, Galileo hypothesized that the Earth’s gravitational field resulted in the same acceleration of all objects, regardless of mass. To prove this, he dropped two iron balls of different masses from an elevated place and showed that gravity pulled on both masses evenly. This experiment disproved the commonly held belief (at the time) that an object with greater mass would fall to the ground more quickly.

The author’s primary purpose in writing this passage is to

(A) explain the modern distinction between science and non-science via historical examples
(B) criticize the research methods employed by the Ancient Greek philosophers
(C) illustrate the importance of following the scientific method as invented by Galileo Galilei
(D) compare and contrast the historical definition of science with the modern-day definition
(E) argue that the findings of Galileo are more important than those of Aristotle



Which of the following can be properly inferred from the passage?

(A) Solid water has the same shape as other solid forms of matter.
(B) When dropped from the same height, an object with greater mass will fall to the ground more quickly than an object with less mass.
(C) One cannot be both a scientist and a philosopher.
(D) If Aristotle had followed Galileo’s method, he would have rejected his hypothesis that solids were the least expanded form of matter.
(E) In the absence of the scientific method, one cannot disprove commonly held misconceptions about the rules of physics.