Sir Isaac Newton Essay Example
Sir Isaac Newton Essay Example

Sir Isaac Newton Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (969 words)
  • Published: December 14, 2018
  • Type: Case Study
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Sir Isaac Newton was born prematurely on January 4, 1643, in Woolsthorpe, England. Unfortunately, his father had passed away three months before his birth, making his childhood quite difficult. At the age of three, Newton's mother remarried and sent him to live with his grandparents. However, when he turned 11 years old and his stepfather died, Newton's mother brought him back to Woolsthorpe so that he could receive an education at Kings School in Grantham.

Originally expected to continue the family farming tradition, Newton's intelligence was recognized by his uncle who decided to prepare him for university. Due to poor academic performance characterized as 'idle' and 'inattentive', Newton was removed from grammar school and enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge in June 1661 by his uncle.

Due to financial difficulties, Newton had to work as a servant for wealthier students in order to suppo

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rt himself while studying law at Cambridge initially. It was through Isaac Barrow - who held the Lucasian chair of Mathematics - that Newton found mentorship. Although completing his undergraduate degree without any notable achievements, further studies were interrupted due to the outbreak of the Great Plague in London.

However, this period proved incredibly fruitful for Newton despite the interruption caused by the Plague. He conducted experiments involving sunlight and prisms which eventually led him towards discovering that sunlight consisted of various colors.Isaac Newton, a scientist, professor, mathematician, and politician, returned to Cambridge in 1667 and became a fellow. He earned his MA and the following year became the chair of the math department. Alongside his academic pursuits, Newton wrote a book on optics. During this time, he collaborated with other scientists such as Robert Hooke

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and Edmund Halley on planetary motion. However, later on, he grew bitter and resentful towards them for not giving them credit for their contributions to his work.

Newton went on to hold various government positions including a seat in Parliament and later serving as Warden of the Mint. Interestingly enough, during his time as a Member of Parliament, he uttered only one sentence "shut the window." In his later years, Newton experienced bouts of mental breakdowns and paranoia but was cared for by his niece since he never married.

Despite these challenges, Newton's achievements continued to flourish. He eventually rose to become the president of the Royal Society and received knighthood in 1705. Notably, he was also buried at Westminster Abbey making him the first scientist to receive such an honor.

Among Newton's many accomplishments is proving the laws of gravity and developing three laws of motion that are still vital today.Newton's laws of motion, which include his first law stating that objects in motion remain in motion and objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force, his second law explaining how acceleration depends on applied force and direction, and his third law stating that every action has an equal yet opposite reaction, lay the foundation for modern space travel advancements. Additionally, Newton is famous for proving that sunlight consists of all colors using a prism to separate white light into its individual components. As a result of this discovery, Newton created the reflecting telescope which is still used today. His observations of circular motion also contributed to theories used in planetary observation. Furthermore, Newton expanded on the work of other mathematicians and

published "Principia," while pioneering calculus as a branch of mathematics. Many experiments and inventions would not have been possible without Newton's contributions. He held the esteemed Lucasian Chair of Physics at Cambridge University, currently held by renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

Turning to historical events, the plague has been known for over 3000 years and has caused major pandemics globally. The Middle Ages saw Europe's most infamous pandemic while the most recent one occurred from 1894 to 1900. This highly contagious bacterial disease affects both animals and humans.The plague is divided into three forms: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague. Bubonic plague is transmitted through bites from parasitic insects, especially rats, which causes swollen nodes. Europe experienced the highest infestation rates between July and October. The black rats that carried the plague were commonly found in wooden or wattle and daub buildings. Most patients died within 48 hours of showing symptoms. Newton used his time away from university during the outbreak of the plague to accomplish significant work. Charles II reigned as king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 to 1685. He was born as the eldest surviving son of Henrietta Maria and held the title of Prince of Wales during the English civil war. In 1646, Charles was sent with his council to the West of England where he sought refuge in France and received guidance from philosopher Thomas Hobbes while staying with his mother. In an attempt to save his father's life, Charles presented Parliament with a signed blank sheet of paper in 1649 offering them any terms they desired but failed as his father was executed. However, despite this tragedy, Charles became

king in Scotland and parts of Ireland and England by agreeing to Scotland's conditions before being crowned there. In 1651, Charles led an army into England but suffered defeat at the Battle of Worcester against Oliver Cromwell.
After his defeat, he sought refuge in France, where he lived under destitute conditions until General George orchestrated his return to the throne in 1660. During Isaac Newton's lifetime, several American colonies were established, including North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Virginia colonists settled in North Carolina from 1653 onwards, while South Carolina became a colony after King Charles granted its territory to loyal supporters in 1663. New Jersey came into existence when the Duke of York granted it to Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley in 1664. Finally, Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn as repayment for a debt owed by Penn's father.

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