Isaac Newton
By ~ Syona Srivastava
Class ~ 8 C
Roll No. ~ 20
Introduction ➢ Occupation: Scientist, mathematician,
and astronomer
➢ Born: January 4, 1643 in Woolsthorpe
, England
➢ Best known for: Defining the three
laws of motion and universal gravitation
Biography
➢ Isaac Newton is considered one of the most important scientists in history.
➢ Even Albert Einstein said that Isaac Newton was the smartest person that
ever lived.
➢ During his lifetime Newton developed the theory of gravity, the laws of motion
(which became the basis for physics), a new type of mathematics called
calculus, and made breakthroughs in the area of optics such as the reflecting
telescope.
Early Life
➢ Isaac Newton’s father, a farmer who was also named Isaac Newton, had died
three months before his birth.
➢ His mother remarried when Isaac was three years old and left young Isaac in
the care of his grandparents.
➢ Isaac attended school where he was an adequate student.
➢ At one point his mother tried to take him out of school so he could help on the
farm, but Isaac had no interest in becoming a farmer and was soon back at
school.
➢ Isaac grew up mostly alone. For the rest of his life he would prefer to work
and live alone focused on his writing and his studies.
College and Career
➢ In 1661, Isaac began to attend college at Cambridge.
➢ He would spend much of his life at Cambridge, becoming a professor of
mathematics and a fellow of the Royal Society (a group of scientists in
England).
➢ He eventually was elected to represent Cambridge University as a member of
parliament.
➢ In 1696 Newton became the warden of the Royal Mint in London.
➢ He took his duties seriously and tried to get rid of corruption as well as to
reform the currency of England.
➢ He was elected President of the Royal Society in 1703 and was knighted by
Queen Anne in 1705.
The Principia
➢ In 1687 Newton published his most important work called the Philosophiae
Naturalis Principia Mathematica (which means "Mathematical principles of
Natural Philosophy").
➢ In this work he described the three laws of motion as well as the law of
universal gravity.
➢ This work would go down as one of the most important works in the history of
science.
➢ It not only introduced the theory of gravity, but defined the principles of
modern physics.
Scientific Discoveries
Isaac Newton made many scientific discoveries and inventions throughout his
[Link] are some of them :
➢ Gravity - Newton is probably most famous for discovering gravity. Outlined in
the Principia, his theory about gravity helped to explain the movements of the
planets and the Sun. This theory is known today as Newton's law of universal
gravitation.
➢ Laws of Motion - Newton's laws of motion were three fundamental laws of
physics that laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
Legacy
➢ Newton died on March 31, 1727 in London, England. Today, he is considered
one of the most influential scientists of all time alongside greats such as
Albert Einstein, Aristotle, and Galile