Leonardo Da Vinci: Web Quest

This is a web quest: in most cases the answers to the questions are not in the text you must analyze the text and write your thoughts. Read this page carefully and follow the instructions carefully. Click Here to download the  Advanced Power Technology Web Quest Worksheet.docx

Introduction:

Leonardo Da Vinci—one of history’s most imaginative geniuses—was certainly born at the right time and in the right place. The Italian Renaissance was an exciting period of discovery and invention, of exploration and creation.  

In this web quest you will discover why Leonardo is considered the ultimate Renaissance man. You will learn about his famous notebooks, focusing upon his machines of motion, then zooming in on the flying machines. While reading and completing the following activities consider these questions:  

• Who was Leonardo Da Vinci and how does he exemplify the period in which he lived, the Renaissance?
• In what areas does he show creative genius and what is the evidence for this genius?
• Why is the work of Leonardo intriguing even in modern times?

Upon completing this quest, you will be able to:

• Describe the Renaissance, and explain how Leonardo DA Vinci reflected the spirit of the age
• Discuss the many achievements of Leonardo
• Explain the significance of his famous notebooks.
• Describe some of Leonardo’s inventions and contributions in the field of aeronautics.  

Introduction to Leonardo Da Vinci:

Leonardo Da Vinci lived during one of the most creative periods in the history of Western Europe—the Renaissance. The rediscovery of the philosophical and scientific treatises of classical Greece and Rome had changed the way scholars and artists thought about the universe. After centuries of domination by the Catholic Church, the focus shifted to the power of reason and the potential of man. The other-worldliness of the Church-dominated medieval period gave way to the eager investigation of this world, leading to a revolution in the realms of art, architecture, technology, engineering, and many fields of science.

Leonardo was a mirror of the age in which he lived. Artist, scientist, engineer, architect, musician and courtier par excellence, he embodied what came to be known as the multi-talented Renaissance Man. Leonardo carefully studied the world around him. He believed that art should clearly reflect the wonders of the natural world. But his works also contained a certain mystery. His Mona Lisa, perhaps the world’s most famous painting, is known for her haunting smile. Leonardo was also fascinated by the way things worked. He mused endlessly about cause and effect, filling thousands of pages of his famous notebooks with sketches and commentary dealing with subjects as diverse as the anatomy of a horse and the design of a hydraulic pump.  

Leonardo was also intrigued about the possibilities of locomotion, and he designed a number of machines that would enable man to get around faster. Most of all, he was fascinated by the possibilities of human flight. He captured birds and studied their feathers and skeletal systems to puzzle out the secrets of aerodynamics. He studied the flow of water in rivers and streams as well as the effects of tides in order to better understand wind currents. Using what he observed in nature, he designed some very ingenious flying machines.  

Leonardo spent a good deal of time thinking about how people could get around faster—on the earth, in the water, and even in the air. After studying the anatomies of certain wild creatures and tinkering around with mechanisms like gears and pulleys, he came up with some designs for vehicles that were way ahead of his time.

 

• Go to the Leonardo studies page available through Museum of the History of Science. Under War machines click on Armoured car. What is the purpose of this machine? Can you think of its modern counterpart? Now read the text of this page, beginning with Leonardo’s own words. Do you think this machine would have worked? Why or why not? What animal probably inspired Leonardo to design this machine?
• Now click on this link Water Craft and read about three different water craft that Leonardo designed. How did Leonardo’s study of the natural world influence his designs of watercraft?

But it was the possibility of human flight that particularly intrigued Leonardo. Since very ancient times, man had dreamed of being able to fly. Leonardo came up with a number of ways that, he thought, just might work.

  

• Click here to Return to Leonardo studies page. Under Flying Machines, click on Air Screw. Here is Leonardo’s design of a helicopter. What toy inspired this machine?
• Return to the studies page by clicking the link above or the back button on your browser. Under Flying Machines  click on Wing-beating device with a screw and lead screw system. This is one of many examples in which Leonardo used the wings of birds and bats as models for a flying machine. See another example by clicking on Articulated wing.
• Click on Flying ship. Leonardo must have spent a good deal of time watching the way birds maneuver their tail feathers as they fly. Does this seem more like an airplane or a boat?
• Click on Glider with manoeuvrable tips. A different glider design (more like a hang glider) can be found at Glider.

If one is going to fly, it’s important to have a means of escape in case something goes wrong in the air. So Leonardo came up with a novel idea: the parachute.

• Return to Leonardo and navigate to parachute.  In what way is Leonardo’s parachute superior to its modern counterpart?

Given the times in which he lived, Leonardo’s designs for flying machines were amazing! Although there were some major flaws, his designs would eventually evolve into the modern airplanes of today. Leonardo never actually built any models of his designs, but you can view some that have been made in modern times.

• Go to The Leonardo Museum in Vinci. View the following models on the Ground floor: Flapping Wing, Detail of a Mechanical Wing, Flying Machine, Helicopter, and Tank. Now go to the First Floor and view the following: Spring driven car, Paddleboat, Articulated Wing, Crank operated cart, and Parachute. Answer the essay question from the pictures and sketches you view on this website.