2007-09-05 03:42:37 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I suggest seeing the show "The Universe" on the History Channel for a very good answer to that question.
However, in short, it is impossible to encapsulate all of Newton's contributions to the sciences without writing a textbook about it.
But here are a few of his more notable contributions:
The laws of motion, which he derived through painstaking observation and utter genius, were the beginning of his contributions. These are the basic concepts upon which all of our physical understanding is based.
These led to his development of the law of gravity. However, he didn't end there. Newton not only defined these laws as concepts, but actually explained them mathematically. He coalesced the concepts into provable fact using mathematics as the vessel.
Newton's understanding of gravitational attraction allowed him to physically and mathematically explain observations from centuries of observational science. From Copernicus' heliocentric (Sun-centered) model of the solar system, to Kepler's theory on elliptical orbits, even to the simple experiment done by Galileo in which he noticed that all objects are accelerated towards the ground at the same rate regradless of mass. He was able to provide the provable, tanigible understanding as to what mechanisms are at work to make these things happen.
This new understanding gave future and period scientists and astronomers the tools to explain and understand what they were observing in the night sky. Newton laid the groundwork for physics as we know it today. He was one of the greatest thinkers in history, and one of the few great geniuses. His theories and mathematical works also laid the groundwork for what we now know as Calculus and Differential Equations.
Pick up his most famous work, "La Principia Mathematica" if you feel like being dumbfounded by utter genius.
2007-09-05 07:49:50 · answer #1 · answered by AresIV 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, he could be wrong, or simply misinterpreted, or it could be that he was right, and his calculations in the global cooling model were somehow proven correct, and that credibility carried confidence that a simple reversal of some signs (- to +, etc) could convert his findings for use in global warming models. Isaac and Al? That's taking it a bit far I think. Mathematicians and politicians only work together when forced to, often to the extreme of being at gunpoint or the like LOL.
2016-05-17 08:26:14 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its Sir Isaac Newton.
He discovered the Law of Gravitation which explained the structure of the Universe. He also devised a much better telescope which was named after him. This telescope based on refraction was better than Galileo's.
2007-09-05 03:49:18 · answer #3 · answered by ag_iitkgp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He developed the first theory of gravity.
Also Kepler's laws of planetary motion can be derived from Newton's laws.
2007-09-05 03:52:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Newtonian is a reflector
2007-09-05 03:50:51 · answer #5 · answered by Faesson 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Newtonian type telescobes.
2007-09-05 04:23:08 · answer #6 · answered by irfank58 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋