History has brought many influential scientists. Sir Isaac Newton is perhaps the most influential scientist of all time. Without his works and discoveries, mankind might have been set back many decades or even scores in scientific and technological advancement. Therefore, because of his tremendous impact on mankind, it is important to study Sir Isaac Newton's life and acheivements.
The Man that Created the Laws of Motion
Sir Isaac Newton, the man that helped people figure out why things move and how they move, had a very interesting life. In the beginning of his early life, he dealt with hardships, and progressed to be an extremely inspiring man later in his life. In college he had many breakthroughs with his scientific works, including the laws of physics that we still use today. His life has answered many of people’s scientific questions that are still being asked today in physics’ classrooms all around the world.
What is there to know about the three laws of motion? The three laws of motion are only one of the countless things formulated or developed by the astounding seventeenth century physicist and mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac Newton is considered one of the pioneers for the ever growing world of physics. Newton was the metaphorical outline for numerous brilliant physicists such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Richard Feynman, and Erwin Schrödinger. Many of those names may be much more familiar than that of Isaac Newton, but in the science world, Newton is a beloved figure since a vast number of rules and theories were derived from him. Newton’s rules and theories still hold true today, just like with his three laws of motion. One of Newtons many clever quotes or sayings is, “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” Because Newton lived by this saying his entire life, he was a successful physicist who is still important in todays world. Even though Newton was a powerful mind in the science world, he was also an astute mathematician, making breakthroughs in the mathematical world as well.
Isaac Newton’s story of how an apple falling from a tree that hit his head inspired him to formulate a theory of gravitation is one that all school children grow up hearing about. Newton is arguably one of the most influential scientific minds in human history. He has published books such as Arithmetica Universalis, The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, Methods of Fluxions, Opticks, the Queries, and most famously, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia MathematicaHe formulated the three laws of gravitation, discovered the generalized binomial theorem, developed infinitesimal calculus (sharing credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz, who developed the theory independently), and worked extensively on optics and refraction of light. Newton changed the way that people look at the world they live in and how the universe works.
O’Connor, J. J. and Robertson, E.F. “Sir Isaac Newton.” Mac Tutor History of Mathematics, Inc. Jan 2000. Web. Aug 31 2011.
The three laws of motion are three rules that explain the motion of an object. The first law is the law of inertia. It states that every object remains at rest unless it is compelled by an external force. The second law is the law of acceleration. This law shows when there is a change in force, it causes a change in velocity. Finally, the third law states that every force in nature has an equal and opposite reaction. His discovery in calculus help confirms his second law of motion. Calculus also gave Isaac Newton powerful ways to solve mathematical problems. Lastly, for the color spectrum, he produced a beam of light from a tiny hole in a window shade. He placed a glass prism in front of the beam of light creating a color spectrum. In Newton’s undergraduate days, Newton was greatly influenced by the Hermetic tradition. After learning about the Hermetic tradition it influenced him to look at a different perspective into his discoveries and theories. One of the myths that followed the discovery is his discovery of universal gravitation. It is said that while Isaac Newton was thinking about the forces of nature, an apple fell on his head and he found the theory of gravity. There is no evidence that an apple fell on Newton’s head, but the evidence is shown that Newton got an idea of the theory of gravity when he saw an apple fall from a tree. During his life; however, Isaac Newton faced many obstacles. When he published some of his ideas in Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society, some people challenged his ideas such as Robert Hooke and Christiaan Huygens to a point where Newton stopped publishing his work. During his life, he also suffered a nervous breakdown in a period of his life. He was convinced his friends were conspiring against him, and he couldn’t sleep at all for five
Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the most powerful and or important of the three, states that F=ma, describes the relationship between the mass of the object and the force needed to accelerate the object (Newton’s Three Laws). Newton’s Third and Final Law of Motion states that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” (Newton’s Three Laws). These three laws were published in Newton’s book “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy)” (Bio.com) in 1687. Newton’s Laws were built upon Galileo’s Laws of Motion, and they also expanded on ideas of other philosophers of this time period. Due to these laws being published a controversy developed between Newton and Robert Hooke in which Hooke accused Newton of plagiarism, but later the issue was resolved and the credit of the laws still rests in Newton’s name. With the development of these newfound laws, they have helped to explain nearly every motion within our universe, and have become known as the backbone for the 17th century Scientific
Sir Isaac Newton had a great scientific community, and many of his principles are still being used today. Isaac Newton’s life, education, and personal life, have all effected contributions to science.
Isaac Newton had a tragic and unfortunate life ever since he was born. Three months prior to Newton’s birth, his father died. Then, when Newton was three years old, his mother left him with her parents in order to remarry to a wealthy rector, named Barnabas Smith. A few years later, his mother returned with three more children, and brought Newton back home to live with her and their new family. Newton went to school for next next couple years, until age fourteen, when he was told to drop out of school to assist his mother around the house and on the farm. It turned out Newton was not of any help around the house nor farm, because he was constantly busy reading. His mother then advised him to return to school (“Isaac Newton;” Gleick). After said events, his mother's second husband, Barnabas Smith dies as well. His mother then fled again, completely neglecting Newton's parental needs. Combination of all these events caused Newton to be on a constant emotional and physical edge, often crying and engaging in disputes and fights in school (“Sir Isaac Newton;” Hatch).
Sir Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643 (based on the Gregorian calendar) in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. Growing up, he was never really close to his parents because his biological father died three months before he was born. Then, his mother remarried and left him to be raised by his grandparents. It was not until 1661, when Newton started studying at Cambridge University, that Newton took an interest in math and science. Then, in 1665, Newton was forced to go home because of an epidemic outbreak. During his time away from school, Newton started studying optics, math, and gravity. In addition, he started to create Calculus. Newton was allowed to return to Cambridge in 1667, and in 1669, he became a math professor. In between his return and appointment as a professor, he invented the reflecting telescope. This invention brought him into the limelight and in 1672 Newton was inducted into the Royal Society. He became the president of the Royal Society in 1703. Throughout his life, Newton also published books. Two of his books are The Opticks and Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Principia for short). In addition, in 1689, Newton became a member of parliament at Cambridge University, and in 1969, he became the warden of the Royal Mint. Newton was also knighted in 1705. Throughout his life, Newton was always seeking to learn and invent new things and ideas. He was never afraid to contradict or argue a point with other scientists of his day. However, even though Newton was a very famous thinker, he was often depressed. Newton died on March 31, 1727 and is buried in Westminster Abbey among other notable historic figures (“Isaac Newton (1643-1727)”).