Standing on the shoulders of giants: How historical perspectives on gravity can inform modern physics education

This chapter traces the historical development of scientific models about gravity from antiquity to modern times. It is intended for readers who wish to learn more about historical perspectives of gravity, and also, for those who look for an overview of student conceptions about gravity at all school levels. Neither Galileo nor Newton discovered gravity; scholars from the antiquity and the Indian and Islamic world were the first giants of gravity that made significant contributions in our conceptual quest to understand gravitational phenomena. The chapter traces different conceptions of gravity from the antiquity throughout the middle ages to modern times. By and large, the force model of gravity seems to be prominent in upper secondary school students understanding of gravity. It looks at the ways students' intuitions about gravity are mirrored in historical models. The history of gravity serves as an excellent example to illustrate the development of scientific models and stimulate reflections about intuitions of the natural world