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The Contributions of Isaac Newton Essay

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Sir Isaac Newton was a profound mathematician and physicist, one of the primary scientificintellects of all time. For almost 300 years, Newton has been known as the leader in scientific achievements of modern physical science as well as mathematical research. Dedicated to learning and experimenting, Newton also plunged into chemistry, early history of Western Civilization and theology, and a concentration of special studies in forms and dimensions, which also included Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

On Christmas day in 1642, Newton was born to a widowed farming mother. In 1664 while still a student, Newton studied optics and light. He investigated the refraction of light by a glass prism, which led to discovering measurable mathematical …show more content…

Late in life, Newton apologized for the algebraic style of recent mathematical progress. He favored the classical geometrical method of the Greeks because of its clarity and rigor (5).

Newton also made extreme progress in physics. According to the well-known story, Newton witnessed an apple falling from a tree in his orchard. From this he conceivedan idea in his mind that the same force that governs the Moon could also, control the apple. Newton then calculated the force needed to hold the moon in its orbit comparing it to the force that pulls an object to the ground. He furthered his experiment to include calculations from the centripetal force equation and the pendulum-sling relationship. Thus, this began the experimentation of gravity and the development of the laws of gravity. While working with John Hooke, Newton redirected his experiment to the problem of the path of a body subjected to a centrally directed force that varies as the inverse square of the distance. Newton determined this to be an ellipse. With an interest in Haley's Comet, Newton demonstrated the relationship of his new findings with his previous findings (6). This led him to write a brief essay on mechanics, and to finally write the Principia.

The Book Principia is broken into three parts. Book I begins with the foundation of the science of mathematics and the

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