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By Elliot S.
Introduction
Have you ever heard about the three laws of motion? Or the story about the apple falling on Isaac Newton's head? Isaac Newton was an English scientist who was a brilliant writer, theologian, astronomer, physicist, and alchemist, and he invented many things that changed the course of history.
Early Years
On December 25, 1642, Issac Newton was born to a widowed mother. His father, Isaac Newton Sr., passed away three months prior. Little and frail, he was not expected to live. Newton's mother was kept apart from him until 1653 when his stepfather, the wealthy clergyman Barnabas Smith, sent him to live with his grandmother shortly after (“Isaac Newton: Biography, Facts, Discoveries, Laws, and Inventions.”).
Education
Isaac Newton eventually got around to studying for college after sporadic attendance at the grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. He enrolled in Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1661, when he was already a little older than his peers. There, he read much from Aristotle and got familiar with René Descartes' writings on the existence of God and the difference between a person's body and soul, before earning his bachelor's degree in 1665 (“How Was Isaac Newton Educated?”).
Successes
The reflecting telescope is one of Newton's most significant inventions. The primary mirror of this instrument reflects light to a focus rather than refracting it, which gives rise to the name of the device. Typically, the primary mirror is parabolic or concave spherical in shape. Additionally, it inverts the image at the focal plane when it reflects light (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”). This allowed astronomers to see clear images without distorted or lost colors.
Newton’s definition of the three laws of motion is another one of his many accomplishments. Newton's first law claims that, without a force acting upon it, a body at rest or traveling straight ahead at a constant speed in a straight line will continue to do so (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”). Newton's second law reasonably explains the modifications to a body's motion that a force can cause. It asserts that the force acting on a body has an equal and opposite effect on the temporal rate at which its momentum changes. The body's momentum is equivalent to the sum of its mass and speed. Similar to velocity, momentum has both a magnitude and a direction. A force applied to a body can alter the momentum's direction, magnitude, or both. One of the most significant laws of physics is Newton's second law (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”). According to Newton's third law, also known as the law of action and reaction, forces applied by two bodies in contact must be equal in magnitude and directed in the opposite direction. This law applies to bodies in uniform or rapid motion and is useful in analyzing situations involving static equilibrium, in which all forces are balanced. The forces talked about are actual ones, not just accounting tools. For instance, a book lying on a table exerts a downward force equal to the weight of the book on the table. According to the third law, an equal and opposing force comes from the table that affects the book. This force is produced when the book's weight slightly distorts the table, causing it to push back on the book like a coiled spring (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”).
Another accomplishment of Newton's was his discovery of calculus. Today, calculus is a basic prerequisite for studying physics, chemistry, biology, economics, finance, or actuarial science. Calculus enables the solution of a wide range of issues, such as monitoring a space shuttle's location or forecasting the pressure that will build up behind a dam as the water level rises (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”).
When Newton was a university student, he began his studies in optics, the study of sight and the behavior of light. In a series of experiments, he examined the spectrum of light projected onto a wall using a prism filled with light. According to his analysis, rainbows and other phenomena are caused by individual light rays that refract at different angles (“Isaac Newton: Achievements.”).
Conclusion
Isaac Newton's legacy continues to influence science today. His discoveries and inventions have changed the course of history, and his work has inspired numerous scientists and researchers to continue exploring the mysteries of the universe. Newton passed away in 1727, but his scientific contributions will always be remembered and celebrated.
References
“How Was Isaac Newton Educated?” Encyclopedia Britannica,
“Isaac Newton: Achievements.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/summary/Isaac-Newtons-Achievements.
Westfall, Richard S. “Isaac Newton: Biography, Facts, Discoveries, Laws, and Inventions.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Nov. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Newton.
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