This gives the classic equation of a = F/m or F = ma, where F is the force acting on the object, a is the acceleration or the rate of the change in motion of the object, and m is the object’s mass. Newton’s Second Law of Motion: When a force acts on an object, its acceleration is inversely proportional to its mass. Newton’s first law is sometimes referred to as the Law of Inertia, where inertia is an object’s resistance to changes in its motion. In the real world, a rolling ball slows down, not because its nature is to come to rest, but because friction with the table’s surface acts as a force to slow it down. If we had an infinite, frictionless surface and gave the ball a push, it would roll forever. But Newton figured that a moving object would continue moving so long as an outside force does not interfere with its motion. This much was consistent with Aristotle’s idea that objects naturally come to rest. It will not move unless you give it a nudge. Newton’s First Law of Motion: An object at rest will remain at rest while an object in motion will continue in motion with a constant velocity unless acted on by outside force. Newton’s Principia outlined his three laws of motion, which in modern terminology, are as follows: In 1687, Newton published his Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) which became the foundation of classical mathematics. No longer would the heavens be regarded as mysterious bodies moved by unseen hands, but as real objects that obey the same laws of physics we do here on Earth. Newton’s great insight was that the same laws that govern the motion of objects on Earth also govern objects in the Solar System and beyond. Newton studied natural philosophy at Trinity College, Cambridge and later became a professor at Cambridge, becoming the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge, one of the most prestigious positions at the university. But it is his studies of motion and gravity for which he most remembered. He invented the reflecting telescope and the mathematics of calculus. He experimented with optics to determine that white light could be separated in the colors of the rainbow. "Isaac Newton" by paukrus is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 įew people have made as many contributions to science as Sir Isaac Newton.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |