A short message about Isaac Newton in physics. Recognition and success

He is considered one of the greatest luminaries that science has known. Mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton formed theories of motion, gravity, and calculus, among a number of other topics he studied. The son of an illiterate peasant, Isaac was also a loner, very secretive in everything that related to his work. Want to know more about this smartest man of his time? Read the following facts about him.

1. His secretive nature was influenced by an unhappy childhood.

Isaac Newton was born premature on Christmas Day 1642. This happened in the house where the family of an illiterate farmer lived. The father died a few months before the birth of his son. When Isaac was three years old, his mother married a wealthy priest - Barnabas Smith - who did not love his stepson. The boy's mother went to live in another village with her new husband, leaving her son in the care of his grandparents. This greatly traumatized the boy, who felt abandoned, and played a role in the formation of his character. Isaac could be called a secretive loner. As a teenager, he made a list of his sins, among which was the entry: “Threatened to Father Smith and Mother to burn down their house with them.” As an adult, Newton devoted himself to work. He didn't even have a hobby, and he never married. For many years he hid some of his scientific discoveries.

2. Newton's mother wanted him to become a farmer.

At the age of 12, Newton was enrolled in a school in Grantham. He began to live in the house of a local pharmacist, since it would be a very long time to walk to his village every day. At first he could not be called a good student. But the story tells that one day he had a conflict with a local bully, and after that Isaac turned into an exemplary student. However, at the age of 15 or 16, he left school and returned to his home village with his mother, who by then was widowed for the second time. He was supposed to become a farmer. But the teenager was not interested in work and coped with it very poorly. Eventually, Isaac's mother convinced the school principal to allow the boy to continue his studies. After completing the required course, Newton entered Trinity College at the University of Cambridge (in 1661), leaving agriculture forever.

3. The Black Death unexpectedly inspired one of his most famous ideas.

In 1665, following an outbreak of bubonic plague, Cambridge University was closed and Isaac was forced to return home. Sitting in his own garden one day after returning, he saw an apple fall from a tree. This inspired him to a new idea, which later developed into the law of universal gravitation. A little later, Newton told the story of the apple to William Stukeley, who included it in the book Memoirs of the Life of Sir Isaac Newton, published in 1751.

4. Few people came to his lectures at the University of Cambridge.

In 1669, 26-year-old Newton was appointed professor of mathematics at Cambridge (one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in 1209). Although Newton remained at the university for 30 years, he had little interest in teaching or his students, so his lectures were attended by very few students, and often no one came to them at all. Newton's entire attention was focused on his own research.

5. Newton worked for the Royal Mint and fought counterfeiters

In 1696, Newton was appointed master of the Royal Mint, which was responsible for the production of currency in England. He left Cambridge, which had long been his second home, and moved to the capital. The mint at that time was located in the Tower of London. Three years later, Newton was transferred to a more profitable position as a master, which he held until his death in 1727. He led a major project to replace the old coins then in use in England with more reliable currency. He also caught counterfeiters, as a result of which he became acquainted with the very “lower classes” of London society. He personally searched for criminals, despite the risk to his life.

6. He was seriously interested in alchemy

In addition to the scientific work for which he became famous, Newton spent much of his adult life pursuing another interest: alchemy. As you know, the goal of this pseudoscience is to search for the philosopher's stone. It was believed that this substance was capable of turning any base metal into gold. However, Newton hid his alchemical research and encoded its results.

Among other research projects, Newton analyzed the Bible in an attempt to answer the question of how the universe worked.

7. Newton was a Member of Parliament

From 1689 to 1690 Newton was a member of Parliament, in which he represented the University of Cambridge. During this time, the Bill of Rights was passed, which limited the power of the monarchy and gave more rights to Parliament. Newton's contribution to Parliament was limited. They remember that he spoke only once, when he asked the bailiff to close the window because it was cool. However, it was then that Newton met many of the influential people of the time, from King William III to the philosopher John Locke. Newton served his second term in Parliament from 1701 to 1702, but again contributed little to its work.

8. Fierce feuds were no stranger to the scientist

When it came to intellectual competition, Newton could be jealous and vindictive. For example, he was at enmity with the German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. The men fought a bitter battle over which of them invented calculus. Newton developed the system in the 1660s but did not publish it. Leibniz formulated his own system and published it ten years later. To resolve this dispute, a committee was assembled under the Royal Community, to which Leibniz turned. However, Newton served as president of this organization, so he was able to assemble a committee with his supporters. As a result, he was publicly recognized as the author of this invention. Nevertheless, today it is Leibniz’s system that is used.

9. Newton was knighted

In 1705, Queen Anne knighted the scientist. By that time he was already rich, having inherited his mother’s property after her death, and had also published two major works: “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy” (1687) and “Optics” (in 1704).

The famous scientist died in 1727 at the age of 84. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, which is the final resting place of English monarchs, as well as such famous people (who are not members of the royal family) as Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, David Livingstone.

Biography, life story of Newton Isaac

Childhood and youth

Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 (January 4, 1643 New Style) in a farmer's family. An event that subsequently had a significant impact on the course of social development occurred in the village of Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. The future great scientist was born the same year that the famous Polish astronomer Galileo Galilei passed away. In addition, the first civil war in England began at this time.

Isaac's father was not destined to see his child - he died before his birth. The boy was born premature and extremely painful. Few believed in his recovery, and this was another blow for his mother. However, Isaac not only survived, but also lived a fairly long life. Newton himself believed that this could not have happened without God's help. After all, he came out of his mother’s womb at Christmas, which means he was marked with a special sign of fate.

At an early age, according to Newton's contemporaries, he differed from his peers not only in poor health, but also in isolation. The child did not like to communicate with people; he devoted most of his time to reading books. Isaac also liked to make various mechanical devices, such as a mill or a clock.

The boy needed solid male upbringing and support, and his mother’s brother William Ayscough came in handy here. Under his patronage, the young man graduated from school in 1661 and entered Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, or, as it was also called, the College of the Holy Trinity.

The beginning of the path to glory

It is safe to say that it was during this period that Newton’s powerful scientific spirit began to take shape, the qualities that allowed him to soon become famous. Even then, in this college student one could discern incredible meticulousness and the desire to get to the bottom of any phenomenon at any cost. If we add to this the sheer indifference to worldly fame, we would get a complete portrait of a great scientist.

CONTINUED BELOW

Researchers of Newton's work believe that he made the vast majority of his discoveries in the field of mathematics during his student years, in the period from 1664 to 1666. At the same time, the Newton-Leibniz formula, the main theorem of analysis, was born. At the same time, Newton, by his own admission, discovered the law of universal gravitation. However, for this he should be grateful to Kepler, since this law did not appear on its own, but followed from Kepler’s third law. During that period, the “Newton binomial” formula was derived and it was proven that white color is nothing more than a collection of other colors.

However, it took time for the world to learn about these amazing discoveries. The reason for this was the character of Newton, who was never in a hurry to brag about the results of his work.

Recognition of merit

However, fame still overtook him, and rumors of the great scientist spread far beyond the borders of his homeland.

In 1668, Newton became Master of Trinity College, and the following year he was elected professor of mathematics. During this period of his scientific activity, Newton conducted numerous experiments in optics and color theory. In addition, alchemy caught his attention. In the Middle Ages, this activity was considered a pseudoscience, and its adherents were often persecuted. Despite this, Newton conducted experiments with chemical elements with manic persistence.

Official recognition came to Isaac Newton in 1672, when he presented the reflector he had invented to the respectable London public. In other words, an optical telescope, thanks to which over time humanity learned about unknown galaxies.

Of course, such devices already existed, but Newton’s invention significantly surpassed them in its technical characteristics. Again, Newton created a new generation of telescope back in 1668. Why didn’t you immediately announce this? Probably due to my character. It may well be that the scientist first intended to test it in action many times, improve it if necessary, and only then “declassify it.”

No one has created anything like this during this time. As a result, the inventor not only received all kinds of praise, but also became a member of the Royal Society, that is, the British Academy of Sciences.

In 1696, a reputable scientist was entrusted with overseeing the Mint. Those close to the royal family were seriously concerned about the state of the country's financial system and believed that such a person would be able to restore the trust they had lost in it. And they were right. It would seem that such work had nothing to do with Newton’s scientific activities, but he plunged headlong into the work and was able to successfully carry out monetary reform.

In 1699, Newton received the post of Director of the Mint.

In 1703, Isaac Newton was elected president of the Royal Society. He held this post for 20 years.

Two years later he received the title of knight from the queen herself. He was awarded this title for scientific merits, which had never happened before in the British monarchy. From now on, Isaac Newton received the prefix “sir” to his name, which ordinary citizens could not even dream of.

Private life

Almost nothing is known about her. Perhaps because his studies in science did not leave Newton time for anything else. The women did not pay any attention to the scientist, who had an ordinary appearance. True, information has reached our days about one of Isaac’s crushes - Miss Storey, with whom he was friends until the end of his days. Newton left no descendants.

Sunset of life

In the final years of his life, the scientist was engaged in writing books. Shortly before his death, due to deteriorating health, he moved from the capital to Kensington, where he lived for only a couple of years. Death came to the great scientist in a dream on March 20 (March 31, new style), 1727.

There are names and creations in the history of science that not only constituted an era in the development of knowledge and technology, but also retained their enduring significance for centuries. The name rightfully belongs to them Isaac Newton- the greatest English physicist, mathematician, astronomer. Newton's genius revealed many secrets of nature and illuminated new horizons of the universe for humanity.

In the immortal work “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy,” published in 1687, Newton formulated the three laws of motion that formed the basis of classical mechanics and physics, and outlined his theory of universal gravitation, which connected the course of the heavenly bodies - the Sun, planets, and comets - into a single family. Newton created a new, mechanical system of the world. This is his great scientific feat.

His contribution to optics and mathematics was also enormous: he put forward a hypothesis about light as a stream of special particles, discovered simple, monochromatic rays in a diverse range of colors, and created, along with Leibniz, the method of differential and integral calculus.

Newton's discoveries have stood the most severe test. Tested by time and practice. The progress of natural science, its revolutionary transformations, created new, more general and advanced concepts that included Newton’s laws, which are the same fundamental basis of practical human activity as the geometry of Euclid and the hydrostatics of Archimedes.

Newton's discoveries were of great importance. He continued and completed the work begun by Copernicus and Galileo. No wonder when asked how he managed to make such significant discoveries, Newton replied: “I stood on the shoulders of giants.”

Newton's theological research was assessed by the outstanding French philosopher Paul Holbach. “….The great Newton,” he wrote, “becomes just a child when, leaving physics and obvious facts, he delves into the fantastic world of theology.”

Some are trying to interpret Newton’s great scientific heritage in a religious spirit, to prove the harmony of science and religion using his example, but Newton’s scientific views and religious ideas did not form true agreement or unity. And it was not his religious views that constituted his glory and greatness. Now any poor student knows the name of Newton and the laws of nature discovered by his genius. And his interpretation of biblical prophecy is not particularly interesting.

The greatness and immortality of Isaac Newton lies in the gigantic step that humanity, with the help of his scientific creativity, took on the path of the victorious march of reason, on the path of knowledge of the world.

Newton's name is familiar to every high school graduate. Unfortunately, acquaintance with his works is limited to physics. Who exactly was this guy? outstanding scientist- a physicist or a mathematician, an astronomer or an alchemist? What is his contribution to the treasury of human knowledge?

Newton's childhood and youth

The scientist’s homeland was England, a village in Lincolnshire. He was born in 1642 into the family of a poor sheep farmer.

Due to his poor health and introverted character, the boy avoided communication with his peers and did not excel in school. The conflict with his classmates changed his attitude towards his studies. He I decided to gain authority among the kids and teachers with my excellent knowledge. His academic success became so brilliant that, on the advice of his teachers, he continued his studies at college at the University of Cambridge. In those days it was the most prestigious educational institution not only in England, but also in Europe.

Within the university walls

For more than three decades, Newton's connection with the university was not broken. For the first four years, he served wealthy students for the right to study for free. Finally, in 1664, he himself received a student card. And a year later he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

His student years were filled with preparation for subsequent scientific discoveries. The lecture notes are full of his own remarks and the names of famous physicists and mathematicians. Newton makes scientific instruments, enthusiastically studies astronomy, various branches of physics and mathematics, and music theory. Twenty-three year old student compiles a list of 45 unsolved scientific problems and begins to work on solving them. The idea that popped into his head excited the young man’s inquisitive mind until the decision became completely clear.

His stay at the university was interrupted by a plague epidemic that broke out in England and affected the campus. The young man leaves the university for two years and goes to his village.

Scientific activity in the “plague years”

In the silence and solitude of his native estate, Newton makes a significant part of his discoveries. He already had extensive knowledge of a wide variety of scientific fields, including mathematics. It was the scientist’s love for this subject that determined him discoveries in mathematical science. The most significant of them:

• proof of the opposition of the operations of integration and differentiation;
• method of finding roots of quadratic equations;
• derivation of Newton's binomial formula - the formula for decomposing an arbitrary natural power of a binomial (a+b) n into a polynomial and others.

Young scientist summarizes the results of observations of the movement of celestial bodies and establishes on this basis the law of universal gravitation. The legend about the apple falling on Newton's head is far from true. This made it possible to explain a whole chain of natural phenomena and calculate the masses and densities of planets.

Return to Cambridge

When his forced absence from the university ended, Newton returned to Cambridge. He earns a master's degree and a position as a college professor of mathematics. During this period, the scientist was very attracted to optics. He designs and creates a reflecting telescope, gained very wide popularity. The telescope created by Newton made it possible to more accurately determine time using the celestial bodies, which was immediately appreciated by navigators involved in the navigation of sea vessels. Thanks to this invention, he becomes an honorary member of the Royal Scientific Society.

Newton argues with his great contemporaries about the nature of light. Publishes the work “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”, where:

• introduces the concept of mass, momentum, etc.;
• formulates 3 laws of mechanics, which became the basis of classical physics (Newton’s laws);
• referring to experiments with a prism, he proves the complex composition of white light;
• describes the orbits of celestial bodies;
• makes a significant contribution to the substantiation of the heliocentric system. In parallel with his research in the field of physics and mathematics, Newton devotes a lot of energy to alchemy. Newton's biography contains pages describing his work as director of the Royal Mint and a member of the British House of Lords.

Isaac Newton's services to world science are enormous. But he did not create this scientific heritage from scratch. Scientist benefited from the vast arsenal of knowledge of his predecessors. They were rethought by him, verified by observations and elegant experiments.

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There is probably not a single person in the world who does not know who Isaac Newton is. One of the world's most outstanding scientists, who made discoveries in several fields of science at once, giving rise to scientific directions in mathematics, optics, astronomy, one of the founding fathers classical physics. So, who is Isaac Newton? Today his short biography and his discoveries are widely known.

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The story of a scientist and explorer

One could say about him in the words of the poet Nikolai Tikhonov: “I should make nails out of these people. There couldn’t be any stronger nails in the world.” Born before his due date, very small and weak, he lived 84 years in perfect health, until a ripe old age, devoting wholeheartedly to the development of science and engaging in government affairs. Throughout his life, the scientist adhered to strong moral principles, was a model of honesty, and did not strive for publicity and fame. Even the will of King James II did not break him.

Childhood

The scientist considered his birth on the eve of Catholic Christmas to be a special sign of providence. After all, he managed to make his greatest discoveries. Like a new star of Bethlehem, he illuminated many directions in which science subsequently developed. Many discoveries have been made thanks to the planned they are on their way.

Newton's father, who seemed an eccentric and strange man to his contemporaries, never found out about the birth of his son. A successful farmer and good owner, who lived only a few months before the birth of his son, left the family a significant farm and money.

From his youth, having had a tender affection for his mother all his life, Isaac could not forgive her decision to leave him in the care of his grandparents after she married for the second time. The autobiography, compiled by him as a teenager, tells of outbursts of despair and children's plans for revenge against his mother and stepfather. He could only trust paper with the story of his emotional experiences; in life, the famous scientist was closed, didn't have close friends and was never married.

At the age of 12 he was sent to Grantham School. His closed and unsociable disposition, as well as his internal focus, turned his peers against him. From childhood, the future scientist preferred studying the natural sciences to boyish pranks. He read a lot, was interested in designing mechanical toys, and solving mathematical problems. A conflict situation with classmates prompted the proud Newton to become best student at school.

Studying at Cambridge

Having been widowed, Newton's mother really hoped that her 16-year-old son would begin to help her with farming. But through the joint efforts of the school teacher, the boy's uncle and especially Humphrey Babington, a member of Trinity College, she was able to convince her of the need for further education. In 1661, Newton took an exam in Latin and enters Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. It was in this institution that for 30 years he studied science, conducted experiments and made world discoveries.

Instead of paying for his studies at the college, where the young man first lived as a student-sizer, he had to carry out some errands for richer students and other economic work around the university. Just 3 years later, in 1664, Newton passed the exams with honors and received an advanced student category, as well as the right not only to free education, but also to a scholarship.

His studies fascinated and inspired him so much that, according to the recollections of his classmates, he could forget about sleep and food. Still engaged in mechanics and designed various things and tools, was interested in mathematical calculations, astronomical observations, research in optics, philosophy, even music theory and history.

Deciding to devote his years of life to science, he gives up love and plans to start a family. The young pupil of the pharmacist Clark, with whom he lived during his school years, also did not marry and retained a tender memory of Newton throughout her life.

First steps in scientific activity

The year 1664 was an inspiring year for the young scientist. He compiles a “Questionnaire” of 45 scientific problems and sets himself the goal of solving them all.

Thanks to the lectures of the famous mathematician I. Barrow, Newton made his first discovery of the binomial expansion, which allowed him to subsequently develop the method of differential calculus, which is used today in higher mathematics. He passes the exam successfully and receives a bachelor's degree.

Even the plague epidemic of 1665 - 1667 could not stop this inquisitive mind and force him to sit idle. During the rampant illness, Newton went home, where he continued to engage in scientific activities. Here, in the privacy of home, he does most of his great discoveries:

• establishes basic methods of types of calculus - integral and differential;
• deduces the theory of color and gives rise to the development of optical science;
• finds a method for finding roots of quadratic equations;
• derives a formula for the expansion of an arbitrary natural power of a binomial.

Important! The famous apple tree, the observations of which helped in the discovery, was preserved as a memorial bench for the scientist.

Major discoveries

Isaac Newton a brief description of his activities. He was not just a genius, a famous scientist, but a person with diverse interests in many areas of science and technology. What is he famous for and what did he discover? A keen mathematician and physicist, he was equally well versed in both the exact sciences and the humanities. Economics, alchemy, philosophy, music and history - in all these areas the genius of his talent worked. Here is just a brief description of the great discoveries of Isaac Newton:

• developed a theory of the movement of celestial bodies - determined that the planets revolve around;
• formulated three important laws of mechanics;
• developed the theory of light and color shades;
• built the world's first mirror;
• discovered the Law of Gravity, thanks to which he became famous.

According to existing legend, Newton discovered the famous law while observing apples falling from an apple tree in his garden. Biographer of the famous scientist William Stukeley describes this moment in a book dedicated to the memories of Newton, which was published in 1752. According to Stukeley, it was an apple falling from a tree that gave him the idea of attraction of cosmic bodies and gravity.

“Why do apples fall perpendicular to the ground?” - thought Newton and, reflecting, deduced a new law. In the garden of the University of Cambridge, students revere and carefully care for a tree considered to be a descendant of the same “Newton’s apple tree”.

The falling of the apple served only as an impetus for the famous discovery. Newton went to him for many years, studying the works Galileo, Bullialda, Hooke, other astronomers and physicists. The scientist considered Keller’s Third Law to be another impulse. True, he composed the modern interpretation of the Law of Universal Gravitation somewhat later, when he studied the laws of mechanics.

Other scientific developments

The basis of classical mechanics is Newton’s Laws, the most important in the field of mechanics, which were formulated in a scientific work on mathematics and the principles of philosophy, published in 1687:

• the first Law of uniform motion in a straight line if no other forces act on the body;
• the second Law is , which in differential form describes the influence of acting forces on acceleration;
• the third Law is about the force of interaction between two bodies at a certain distance.

Currently these Newton's laws are an axiom.

Astronomy

At the end of 1669, the scientist received one of the most prestigious positions in the world at Trinity College, the named Lucasian professor of mathematics and optics. In addition to a £100 salary, bonuses and scholarships, there is the opportunity to devote more time own scientific research activities. Doing experiments in optics and the theory of light, Newton creates his first reflecting telescope.

Important! The improved telescope became the main instrument for astronomers and navigators of the time. With its help, the planet Uranus was discovered and other galaxies were discovered.

Studying the celestial bodies through his reflector, the scientist developed a theory of celestial bodies and determined the movement of planets around the Sun. Using the calculations of my reflector and applying a scientific approach to Bible study, I made my own message about the end of the world. According to his calculations, this event will take place in 2060.

Government activities

1696 The great scientist holds the position of keeper of the Mint and moved to London, where he lived until 1726. Having carried out financial accounting and established order in the documentation, he becomes Montagu's co-author on carrying out monetary reform.

During the period of his activity, a branch network of the Mint was created, and the production of silver coins increased several times. Newton introduces technology, allowing you to get rid of counterfeiters.

1699 Becomes manager of the Mint. In this post he continues to fight counterfeiters. His actions as manager were as brilliant as during his scientific career. Thanks to the reforms carried out in England economic crisis was averted.

1698 A report on Newton's economic reform was presented. While in England, Tsar Peter met with the famous professor three times. In 1700, a monetary reform similar to the English one was carried out in Russia.

1689 -1690. He was a representative of Cambridge University in the country's parliament. From 1703 to 1725 he served as President of the Royal Society.

Attention! In 1705, Queen Anne of Great Britain knighted Isaac Newton. This was the only time in English history that knighthood was awarded for scientific achievements.

Biography of Newton, his discoveries

The life of the great scientist Isaac Newton

Completion of life's journey

The last months of his life the professor lived in Kensington. The great scientist died on March 20, 1727. He died in his sleep and was buried on the grounds of Westminster Abbey in the tomb of the kings and most prominent people of England. All the townspeople came to say goodbye to their famous contemporary. The funeral procession was led by the Lord Chancellor himself, followed in the funeral procession by British ministers.