Issac Newton

Born December 25, 1642 in Woolsthorpe, England

Was engaged at 18 but got into his work too much and the romance never went anywhere. He never married. His closest relative was his grandmother.

He was premature and small at birth and his father died before he was born and his mother remarried when he was three and dumped him with his grandma. He didn't have many friends so he made mechanical toys.

Villiage school then Grantham Grammar School where he was top boy, the Cambridge University at 19 in 1661. He earns his BA in 1664. The Plague closes college in 1664 so Newton goes home to think. During this two-year span he exhibits the greatest achievement of human intellect over a brief period of time. He extended the binomial theorem, invented calculus, and discoverd the law of universal gravitation. He also proved that white light is made of all the colors.

In 1667, after the plague, when he was 24, he went back to college to teach math. He also lectured on optics, calculus, and physics, built telescopes to observe Jupiter's moon, and calculated orbits. Alchemy and theology were his main interests, though. He worked to relate dates of the Old Testament to historical dates. He also dabbled in astrology and tried to communicate with the lost souls of the dead. In 1687 he published "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica." "Principia" was divided into three books. Book 1 states the foundation of the science of mechanics and the mathematics of orbital motion around centers of force. He said gravity controlled the motion of celestial bodies. He also employed a new principle called "limit" to help with work on infinitely small numbers. Book 2 solves problems of fluids in motion and motion through fluids. He slao calculated the sped of sound in relation to air density. Book 3 shows gravitation at work on the six inner planets and their satellites, except the moon which he couldn't figure out. He also found that gravity applied to comets and the reason for the tides and seasons. Since he and Gottfried Leibniz both discovered calculus at the same time, followers of both disputed who hsould get credit for almost a century; but Newton and Leibniz agreed each had discovered it on his own. Calculus has had a major impact on phyiscs, astronomy, biology, economics, business and even political science.

Newton served twice in Parliament and he was President of the Royal Society for 24 years. In 1696 he was made Warden of the Mint and put in charge of the coinage system for the British Empire. His work in optics led to discoveries that white light is made of all colors, that light consisted of a stream of miniature particles, and that surfaces selectively absorbed some light and reflected other kinds of light to produce color. He didn't publish these ideas until his critics were dead. The book "Opticks" was written mostly in 1692 and established itself after 1715.

I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

III. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

5. Law of Cooling - The statement that the rate of cooling of an object - whether by conduction, convection, or radiation - is approximately proportional to the temperature difference between the object and its surroundings.

Co-inventor of calculus. Discovered the law of Universal Gravitation. Newton's 3 laws of motion. Corpuscular theory of light. Law of cooling. Professor, Theologian, Alchemist, Warden of the Mint.

Aristotle - Only knew of two motions - natural and violent. Natural motion was circular and straight up and down motion. He says the nature of heavy things is to fall, light things is to float and all things is to rest. Violent motion was from an external force.

Copernicus - Calculates that the Earth is moving despite conventional wisdom that says it's too big to be moving.

Newton - Objects in motion tend to stay in motion and objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.

Writing Page
Home Page