Laws of Gravity

1687
Isaac Newton

What it's about:

When Newton was only a student, academic comprehension of foces and movement was based on the ideas of grec philosopher Aristotle. But looking at Galileo's discoveries on the subject of mass and falling objects, Newton derived mathematical formulas that can describe with precision the movement of objects in most situations.
The story goes that Newton was inspired to find the laws of gravity by an apple falling on his head, an anecdote, or a myth, that has become the symbol of science.

In Numbers:

  • 9.8m/s
    The gravitational force enacted to a 1kg mass on earth.

Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton born December 25th 1642, died March 20th 1726) was an English mathematician, astronomer, and physicist who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time. His book PhilosophiƦ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, first published in 1687, laid the foundations of classical mechanics.

Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and he shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing the infinitesimal calculus.

Where?

Discovery Description:

Before Newton, it was thought object absorbed the energy when put in motion, and slowly given off. Newton built on and added to Galileo's theory to develop three laws of motion in his Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica.

Although Newton's laws have changed the way we perceive the invisible forces of gravity, they do not work well at very high speeds or in very intense gravitational fields, because of the effect of relativity described by Albert Einstein.

Related Topics:

The laws:

  • 1st law:
    An object is at rest or in perpetual movement as long as no force is applied to it.
  • 2nd law:
    The change in movement of an object is proportional to the force applied to it.
  • 3rd law:
    For every force applied, there is an equal and opposite force.