Final answer:
Science was partially split from natural philosophy with important contributions from Newton and Galileo, who advanced the discipline of physics and helped lay the foundation for modern science. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Was Science split off from natural philosophy with the help of Newton and Galileo? The answer is C) Partially. The transition from natural philosophy to modern science, including physics, was a gradual process influenced by numerous figures over time.
However, key advancements by Newton and Galileo were instrumental in this evolution. Natural philosophy encompassed a wide range of subjects including astronomy, biology, and chemistry, but over time saw an increasing level of specialization particularly during the Renaissance, leading to the emergence of separate fields of study.
Figures like Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei played pivotal roles during this transformative period. Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, and his laws of motion marked a significant move towards modern scientific inquiry and methodology.
Similarly, Galileo's use of the telescope for astronomical observation paved the way for modern astronomy. Their work shifted the understanding of the universe from one that was largely based on logic and classical philosophy to one underpinned by empirical evidence and the scientific method, laying the groundwork for the separation of physics from the broader category of natural philosophy.
This process ultimately led to the transformation of classical physics into modern physics by the start of the 20th century with revolutionary discoveries that built upon the groundwork of earlier scientists. The contributions from figures such as Galileo and Newton during the Scientific Revolution created a foundation for science to develop as a distinct entity from natural philosophy, although they were not solely responsible for this separation.