111 Isaac Newton Facts That Will Inspire You To Invent Something

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Apr 10, 2023 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Dec 10, 2021
Edited by Lara Simpson
Fact-checked by Vikhaash Sundararaj
A physics experiment with balls
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.9 Min

Sir Isaac Newton is thought to be one of the greatest scientific minds of the 17th century and of all time.

Despite being considered one of the most influential pioneers of all time, he did not receive the Nobel Prize as the award was first introduced in 1901, almost 200 years after his death. Queen Anne knighted him for his work on politics.

His discovery of gravity is important as it helped understand how the planets moved and how tides are formed. The all-important findings were well documented as Newton published in his book, 'Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica,' which translates to English as 'Mathematical Principals Of Natural Philosophy.'

The impact of Newton's work on today's world is profound. Without discovering the entire concept of gravity, the basic foundations of modern physics and mathematics would be laid to waste. The influence of gravity has been such that it has helped people to create a stable model of the solar system and universe and helped others to understand how planetary objects are affected by gravity. His work on the laws of motion has been groundbreaking in terms of classical mechanics. His work led to a segment of physics being termed Newtonian physics that deals exclusively with the motion of objects and their interaction with gravity.

If you find our content interesting and informative, check out our other works, including Alexander Graham Bell facts and Alexander Fleming's contribution.

Fun Facts About Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton is a name that is very well known to everyone. The man who revolutionized the working and understanding of physics was a pioneer of greatness. Here we will discuss some exciting and fun facts about Sir Isaac Newton.

The work of Sir Isaac Newton on mathematical principles and calculus is extraordinary, and he has been the flag bearer of modern and advanced mathematics that are used widely in the present age. However, the inspiration behind his work on calculus goes entirely to Isaac Barrow. Isaac Burrow was his first professor of mathematics at Trinity College in Cambridge. Thus, it can be said that it was probably Burrows's inspiration that led to the foundation of the complex calculus problems that you solve in your mathematics class.

Despite being a man of science, knowledge, and reason, Sir Isaac Newton was a devotedly religious man. He meticulously studied the book of nature and wanted to understand the concept where he wanted to discover a system from the world that would explain everything related to the world and the universe.

It is said that fame can drive a person to extreme limits, which also happened with Newton. The fame and reputation which Newton received made him a power-hungry man.

Apart from all the marvelous works that Newton did on modern science, modern physics, and modern mathematics, a few controversies have been associated with his name. He published a report of the prestigious Royal Society that he invented calculus. However, this claim was met with stern objections from German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Both the scientists continued their dispute over the invention of calculus for a long time.

At the age of 84 years, Sir Isaac Newton died in 1727 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Facts About Newton's Discoveries

As a man of great intellect, a vast number of discoveries have been credited to Isaac Newton in a wide range of subjects. Here we will take a look at all his discoveries and how they became a scientific revolution for the present world of science and mathematics.

Isaac Newton is not referred to as the father of calculus owing to his controversy with Leibniz. It has been found out that both these scientists discovered calculus in different ways. Despite the controversies, the discovery of calculus was one of the path-breaking developments in the field of advanced mathematics.

In the field of mathematics, this great man also discovered the generalized binomial theorem, Newton's method, works in partial series and harmonic series, Newton identities, usage of logarithms in power series, use of fractional indices in coordinate geometry.

In optics, Newton researched a lot. He finalized color being an intrinsic property of light. His discovery of the reflecting telescope led to the discovery of Newton's disc.

Perhaps the most significant work of Newton came in the field of celestial mechanics. He studied Kepler's laws of planetary motion and was able to invent the laws of motion for stationary and moving objects. The theory of the three laws of motion plays a vital role in today's field of classical mechanics.

While researching the three laws of classical mechanics, he discovered gravity which he named universal gravitation. On further research, he concluded that gravitational attraction decreases with an increase in distance between the two objects. Contrary to popular belief that Isaac Newton's ideas on gravity came from an apple falling off an apple tree is incorrect. This myth was popularized when Voltaire wrote it in his 'Essay On Epic Poetry.'

Newton also worked on astronomy and invented new methods in calculating the motion of planets and the moon. He also presented his model of the solar system, which has heliocentric. Much of his work on cubic plane projection was proved after his death.

Conservation law experiment with metallic balls

Facts About Newton's Education

As a genius scientist, the entire of Newton's life was devoted to studies and research. Here will take an insight into the education of Isaac Newton.

His love for mathematics began in his early schooling life. He attended King's School, where he was taught Ancient Greek and Latin. After his schooling life, his guardian wanted Isaac Newton to become a farmer. However, Newton hated the idea of being a farmer and focused on his higher studies.

Newton did not have social bonding with other students in his school life and thus rarely interacted with his peers. He was often bullied during his school life due to his introverted nature.

Newton joined the Trinity College in Cambridge, England, in 1661, and three years later, in 1664, he was offered a scholarship to continue his education for a further four years and thus got the time and chance to complete his M.A degree.

During his college life, the teachings of his class were old and relied heavily on the methods and principles laid down by Aristotle. Newton wanted a more modern approach for his studies and thus worked on his own and studied the new theories laid down by Galileo, Descartes, and Kepler.

In the year 1665, Newton, on his own, discovered a generalized concept of the binomial theorem. After receiving his B. A. degree in 1665, his college shut down temporarily as a means of precaution against the great plague. However, that did not stop Isaac Newton's determination as he continued to work on his research at home. His findings of the binomial theorem played a vital role in laying down the foundation of calculus.

In the year 1667, after the plague, he became a fellow at his college and started teaching his students. It has been found out that he rarely was aware of his students, and neither did his students understand any of his teachings. Newton was not much bothered if students attended his classes but carried on teaching. Newton was much more focused on his own research. In 1672, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of England.

Facts About Newton's Childhood

In this category, we will look into some of the interesting facts about the childhood of Isaac Newton.

During the time Newton lived, the Julian calendar was followed in England and not the Gregorian calendar, which is used nowadays. According to the Julian calendar, Sir Isaac Newton was born on December 25 in 1642.

Isaac Newton was a posthumous child as his father, who was also called Isaac Newton, passed away three months before the birth of young Isaac. Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton was a prematurely born child and that his mother left him in the care of his grandmother when little Isaac was only three years old?

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 111 Isaac Newton facts that will inspire you to invent something, then why not take a look at Marie Curie facts or Aristotle facts?

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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