This paper examines, compares, and contrasts ideas about motion, especially the motion of a body in a resisting medium, proposed by Galileo, Newton, and Tartaglia, the author of the first text on exterior ballistics, within the context of the Aristotelian philosophy prevalent when these scholars developed their ideas. This historical perspective offers insights on the emergence of a scientific paradigm for motion, particularly with respect to the challenge of incorporating into this paradigm the role played by the medium. (C) 2016 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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