Galileo Galilei was an Italian mathematician, inventor, physicist, and astronomer who lived from 1564-1642 [3]. Galileo attended the University of Pisa. He was sent by his father to study medicine, but instead he studied mathematics [3]. For the rest of his life, Galileo studied physics, optics, astronomy, and cosmology, tirelessly inventing and discovering. His scientific discoveries and theories discussed in books he released angered and threatened the Catholic Church. Galileo was found guilty of heresy and sent to prison, then confined in his home in Florence. His travel and writing were monitored and censored by the church, until he died in 1642 [3]. He is considered among modern scientists to be the father of the astronomical and cosmological revolution. This is due to his significant impact on science, primarily in the fields of astronomy and cosmology. His impact on science is owed …show more content…
He also discovered a multitude of findings while he researched astronomy and cosmology. Among the many tools he did invent, there are a few that are particularly important. Galileo invented a more accurate alternative to determining the purity of precious metals at the young age of twenty-two. This invention is called a hydrostatic balance, based on the Archimedes principle. He was able to determine metal purity more accurately by wrapping the arm of the counter weight in metal wire and counting the turns of the wire [1]. Galileo also invented a thermoscope. This invention consisted of a tube where liquid rises and falls with a drop or rise in temperature [1]. Galileo invented an improved military compass, with scales that allowed cannons to be shot more accurately and safely. It also calculated the amount of gunpowder needed for any size cannonball [1]. This invention was later transitioned to a geometric instrument in use from the sixteenth to nineteenth century. Galileo discovered that pendulums were isochronous in 1602