and a new theory of light and color, Newton

transformed the structure of physical science

BIOGRAPHY OF ISAAC with his three laws of motion and the law of
NEWTON universal gravitation.

Early Years and Family

“I do not know what I may On January 1642, Isaac Newton was
appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have born prematurely on Christmas day 1642 (4
been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and January 1643, New Style) in Woolsthorpe, a
diverting myself in now and then finding a hamlet near Grantham in Lincolnshire. When
smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, he was barely three years old Newton's
whilst the great ocean of truth lay all mother, Hanna (Ayscough), placed her first
undiscovered before me.” -Isaac Newton born under the care of his grandmother in
order to remarry and raise a second family
with Barnabas Smith, a wealthy rector from
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was an nearby North Witham. Much has been made
English natural philosopher, generally of Newton's posthumous birth, his prolonged
regarded as the most original and influential separation from his mother, and his unrivaled
theorist in the history of science. In addition hatred of his stepfather.
to his invention of the infinitesimal calculus
 Hanna returned to Woolsthorpe in Numerous anecdotes survive from
1653 after the death of her second husband, this period about Newton's absent-
Newton was denied his mother's attention, a mindedness as a fledging farmer and his
possible clue to his complex character. lackluster performance as a student.

Newton's childhood was anything but Newton’s Recognition

happy, and throughout his life he verged on The turning point in Newton's life
emotional collapse, occasionally falling into came in June 1661 when he left Woolsthorpe
violent and vindictive attacks against friend for Cambridge University. Here Newton
and foe alike. entered a new world, one he could eventually
call his own.
Education Newton was deeply engrossed in
With his mother's return to private study, that he privately mastered the
Woolsthorpe in 1653, Newton was taken works of René Descartes, Pierre Gassendi,
from school to fulfill his birthright as a Thomas Hobbes, and other major figures of
farmer. the scientific revolution.
Happily, he failed in this calling, and A series of extant notebooks shows
returned to King's School at Grantham to that by 1664 Newton had begun to master
prepare for entrance to Trinity College, Descartes' Géométrie and other forms of
Cambridge.
mathematics far in advance of Euclid's eventually led to the publication of his
Elements. Principia (1687).
In April 1667, Newton returned to
Barrow, a gifted mathematician, had Cambridge and, against stiff odds, was
yet to appreciate Newton's genius. elected a minor fellow at Trinity. Success
followed good fortune. In the next year he
A year later in 1665, Newton took his became a senior fellow upon taking his
bachelor's degree at Cambridge without Master of Arts degree, and in 1669, before he
honors or distinction. Since the university had reached his 27th birthday.
was closed for the next two years because of
plague, Newton returned to Woolsthorpe in Newton and Alchemy
midyear. But sadly in 1678, Newton suffered a
In the following 18 months, he made a serious emotional breakdown, and in the
series of original contributions to science. In following year his mother died. Newton's
mathematics Newton conceived his 'method response was to cut off contact with others
of fluxions' (infinitesimal calculus), laid the and engross in alchemical research.
foundations for his theory of light and color,
and achieved significant insight into the
problem of planetary motion, insights that
Highlights in Newton’s Life and during his stay in London he became
The most important strand of acquainted with John Locke, a famous
Newton's life was when in 1666, as tradition philosopher, and Nicolas Fatio de Duillier, a
has it, Newton observed the fall of an apple brilliant young mathematician who became
in his garden at Woolsthorpe, later recalling, an intimate friend.
'In the same year I began to think of gravity During his London years Newton
extending to the orb of the Moon.' enjoyed power and worldly success. His
Newton's memory was not accurate. position at the Mint assured a comfortable
In fact, all evidence suggests that the concept social and economic status, and he was an
of universal gravitation did not spring full- active and able administrator. After the death
blown from Newton's head in 1666 but was of Hooke in 1703, Newton was elected
nearly 20 years in gestation. president of the Royal Society and was
After publishing his book, Philosophiæ annually reelected until his death.
Naturalis Principia In 1704 he published his second major
Mathematica or simply work, the Opticks, based largely on work
Principia, Newton became completed decades before. He was knighted
more involved in public in 1705.
affairs. In 1689 he was
elected to represent
Cambridge in Parliament,
Final Years Application of Newton’s Discoveries over
In the end, the actions of the Society the Centuries
were little more than extensions of Newton's Although Newton died in 1727,
will, and until his death he dominated the people still study his works until today. His
landscape of science without rival. By this works set the path for many great scientists
time, Newton had become one of the most and discoveries that have happened over the
famous men in Europe. last 180 years.

Newton’s Death Three Laws of Motion

By the time he was 80 years One of his famous discoveries is his
old, Newton was experiencing digestion Three Laws of Motion that set the foundation
problems and had to drastically change his for modern classical mechanics.
diet and mobility. In March 1727, Newton The first law of motion (sometimes
experienced severe pain in his abdomen and referred to law of inertia) states that an
blacked out, never to regain consciousness. object at rest stays at rest and an object
He died the next day, on March 31, 1727, at in motion stays in motion with the same
the age of 85. speed and in the same direction unless acted
upon by an unbalanced force.
The second law of motion (also
referred to as the law of acceleration) states
that the acceleration of an object is With calculus, scientists and mathematicians
dependent upon two variables: the net force have an easier way of calculating continuous
acting upon the object and the mass of the changes geometry cannot explain further.
object.
And lastly, the third law of motion Discoveries in Optics
(also known as law of interaction) states that He investigated the refraction of light
for every action, there is an equal and by a glass prism. Developing over a few years
opposite reaction. a series of elaborate, refined, and exact
experiments, Newton discovered
Law of Gravity measurable, mathematical
His Universal Law of Gravity was the patterns in the phenomenon
most successful and most famous one, along of color. He found white
with the myth of the falling apple that made light to be a mixture of
Newton formulate the idea of gravitational infinitely varied colored rays
pull on Earth (and eventually, on planets). (seen in the rainbow and the spectrum), each
ray definable by the angle through which it is
Calculus refracted on entering or leaving a given
His co-discovery of calculus provided a potent transparent medium.
mathematical tool, aiding the precise
analytical treatment of the physical world.
The Newtonian Telescope Sources:
Newton’s invention of reflective http://users.clas.ufl.edu/ufhatch/pages/01-
telescope does not differ from the ideas of courses/current-courses/08sr-newton.htm
Galileo’s about telescopes. http://sirisaacnewton.info/isaac-newtons-
discoveries-and-inventions/
Newton made this particular
http://www.newton.ac.uk/about/isaac-
telescope because it seemed it
newton/life
will help him in his theory that https://www.biography.com/people/isaac-
white light is composed of a newton-9422656
spectrum of colors. During his www.google.com
time, color distortion was a common fault for
telescopes. It uses two convex-shaped lenses
to make the object closer to you than it really
is.
Even if centuries had passed,
Newton’s fame cannot be extinguished. His
contributions to mathematics and science are
powerful; they enable scientists of yesterday
and today (and tomorrow) to perform and
understand the world in the eyes of Isaac
Newton.