Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27[a]) was an English
mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his own day as a
"natural philosopher") who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all
time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, laid the
foundations of classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and
shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing the infinitesimal calculus.
In Principia, Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the
dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity. Newton used
his mathematical description of gravity to prove Kepler's laws of planetary motion, account
for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and other phenomena,
eradicating doubt about the Solar System's heliocentricity. He demonstrated that the motion
of objects on Earth and celestial bodies could be accounted for by the same principles.
Newton's inference that the Earth is an oblate spheroid was later confirmed by the geodetic
measurements of Maupertuis, La Condamine, and others, convincing most European
scientists of the superiority of Newtonian mechanics over earlier systems.
Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a sophisticated theory of
colour based on the observation that a prism separates white light into the colours of
the visible spectrum. His work on light was collected in his highly influential book Opticks,
published in 1704. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling, made the first theoretical
calculation of the speed of sound, and introduced the notion of a Newtonian fluid. In addition
to his work on calculus, as a mathematician Newton contributed to the study of power series,
generalised the binomial theorem to non-integer exponents, developed a method for
approximating the roots of a function, and classified most of the cubic plane curves.
Newton was a fellow of Trinity College and the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at
the University of Cambridge. He was a devout but unorthodox Christian who privately
rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Unusually for a member of the Cambridge faculty of the
day, he refused to take holy orders in the Church of England. Beyond his work on the
mathematical sciences, Newton dedicated much of his time to the study
of alchemy and biblical chronology, but most of his work in those areas remained
unpublished until long after his death. Politically and personally tied to the Whig party,
Newton served two brief terms as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge, in
1689–90 and 1701–02. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and spent the last three
decades of his life in London, serving as Warden (1696–1700) and Master (1700–1727) of
the Royal Mint, as well as president of the Royal Society (1703–1727).
Isaac Newton
PRS
Portrait of Newton at 46 by Godfrey Kneller, 1689
Born 4 January 1643 [O.S. 25 December 1642][a]
Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, E
ngland
Died 31 March 1727 (aged 84) [O.S. 20 March
1726][a]
Kensington, Middlesex, Great Britain
Resting place Westminster Abbey
Nationality English
Education Trinity College, Cambridge (M.A., 1668)[3]
Newtonian mechanics
Known for
Universal gravitation
Calculus
Newton's laws of motion
Optics
Binomial series
Principia
Newton's method
Awards FRS (1672)[4]
Knight Bachelor (1705)
Scientific career
Fields Physics
Natural philosophy
Alchemy
Theology
Mathematics
Astronomy
Economics
Institutions University of Cambridge
Royal Society
Royal Mint
Academic Isaac Barrow[5]
advisors
Benjamin Pulleyn[6][7]
Notable Roger Cotes
students
William Whiston
Signature
Coat of arms
Sir Isaac Newton PRS (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27[a]) was an English
mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his own day as a
"natural philosopher") who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all
time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, laid the
foundations of classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and
shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing the infinitesimal calculus.
In Principia, Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the
dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity. Newton used
his mathematical description of gravity to prove Kepler's laws of planetary motion, account
for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and other phenomena,
eradicating doubt about the Solar System's heliocentricity. He demonstrated that the motion
of objects on Earth and celestial bodies could be accounted for by the same principles.
Newton's inference that the Earth is an oblate spheroid was later confirmed by the geodetic
measurements of Maupertuis, La Condamine, and others, convincing most European
scientists of the superiority of Newtonian mechanics over earlier systems.
Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a sophisticated theory of
colour based on the observation that a prism separates white light into the colours of
the visible spectrum. His work on light was collected in his highly influential book Opticks,
published in 1704. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling, made the first theoretical
calculation of the speed of sound, and introduced the notion of a Newtonian fluid. In addition
to his work on calculus, as a mathematician Newton contributed to the study of power series,
generalised the binomial theorem to non-integer exponents, developed a method for
approximating the roots of a function, and classified most of the cubic plane curves.
Newton was a fellow of Trinity College and the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at
the University of Cambridge. He was a devout but unorthodox Christian who privately
rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Unusually for a member of the Cambridge faculty of the
day, he refused to take holy orders in the Church of England. Beyond his work on the
mathematical sciences, Newton dedicated much of his time to the study
of alchemy and biblical chronology, but most of his work in those areas remained
unpublished until long after his death. Politically and personally tied to the Whig party,
Newton served two brief terms as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge, in
1689–90 and 1701–02. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and spent the last three
decades of his life in London, serving as Warden (1696–1700) and Master (1700–1727) of
the Royal Mint, as well as president of the Royal Society (1703–1727).
Contents
1Life
o 1.1Early life
o 1.2Middle years
1.2.1Mathematics
1.2.2Optics
1.2.3Mechanics and gravitation
1.2.4Classification of cubics
o 1.3Later life
o 1.4Death
o 1.5Personal relations
2After death
o 2.1Fame
o 2.2Commemorations
3Religious views
o 3.1Effect on religious thought
o 3.2Occult
o 3.3Alchemy
4Enlightenment philosophers
5Apple incident
6Works
o 6.1Published in his lifetime
o 6.2Published posthumously
o 6.3Primary sources
7See also
8References
o 8.1Sources
9Further reading
o 9.1Alchemy and non-scientific life
o 9.2Religion
o 9.3Science
10External links
o 10.1Writings by Newton
Life
Early life
Main article: Early life of Isaac Newton
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