Years of the life of the great scientist: Isaac Newton - a short biography and his discoveries. Biography of Newton Isaac Newton Ideas

Isaac Newton, an outstanding English scientist, was born on January 4, 1643. From childhood, Newton was distinguished not only by his desire to understand the world, but also by his desire to create something new. Moreover, these were not only new laws, but also inventions. We will tell you about five inventions of Isaac Newton.

Windmill with mouse

While still a very young man, Newton built a small windmill, which aroused everyone's admiration. However, Newton did not stop there. Instead of the wind, the mill had to be moved by a living miller - Newton assigned this role to the mouse, which moved the wheel. To make the mouse climb up the wheel and thereby set it in motion, he hung a bag of grain over the wheel.

Water clock

To make a water clock, Newton first obtained a large box to house the mechanism. The hour hand was driven by a wheel, which rotated from the action of a piece of wood, and the piece of wood oscillated from large drops of water falling on it. The water clock was so accurate that the pharmacist's family used it.

Subsequently, being a famous scientist, Newton once started a conversation about this clock and said: “The main inconvenience of this kind of mechanism is that water must be passed through a very narrow hole, and it easily becomes clogged, as a result of which the correct movement is gradually disrupted.”

Newton reflector

Newton built a mixed reflecting telescope consisting of a lens and a concave spherical mirror, which Newton made and polished himself. The project of such a telescope was first proposed by scientist James Gregory, but this plan was never realized. Newton's first design also turned out to be unsuccessful, but the next one, with a more carefully polished mirror, despite its small size, gave a 40-fold increase in quality.

The practical importance of the invention was great: astronomical observations served to accurately determine time, which, in turn, was necessary for navigation at sea.

Scooter

Newton's scooter was a trolley like a handcar. The person sitting in the cart, acting on the handle, set the wheels in motion. The inconvenience of such a scooter was that it could only move on a smooth surface. Nevertheless, this invention proves Newton's enormous engineering abilities: many self-taught mechanics went crazy inventing the wheel.

On the statue of Sir Isaac Newton(1643-1727), erected at Trinity College, Cambridge, the inscription “In mind he surpassed the human race” is carved.

Today's publication contains brief biographical information about the life path and scientific achievements of the great scientist. We will find out when and where Isaac Newton lived, in which city he was born, as well as some interesting facts about him.

Brief biography of Isaac Newton

Where was Isaac Newton born? The great English mechanic, astronomer and physicist, creator of classical mechanics, President of the Royal London was born in the village of Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire in death.

Isaac Newton's date of birth may have two designations: according to the one in force in England at the time of the scientist’s birth - December 25, 1642, according to which began in England in 1752 - January 4, 1643.

The boy was born premature and very sickly, but lived 84 years and accomplished so much in science that would be enough for a dozen lifetimes.

As a child, Newton, according to contemporaries, was withdrawn, loved to read and constantly made technical toys:, etc.

After graduating in 1661, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge University. Even then, a strong and courageous Newton had developed - the desire to get to the bottom of everything, intolerance to deception and oppression, indifference to noisy fame.

In college, he immersed himself in the study of the works of his predecessors - Galileo, Descartes, Kepler, as well as the mathematicians Fermat and Huygens.

In 1664, a plague epidemic broke out in Cambridge, and Newton had to return to his native village. He spent two years at Woolsthorpe, and during this time his main mathematical discoveries were made.

At the age of 23, the young scientist was already fluent in the methods of differential and integral calculus. At the same time, as he himself claimed, Newton discovered universal gravitation and proved that white sunlight is a mixture of many colors, and also derived the famous formula of “Newton’s binomial”.

It is not without reason that they say that the greatest scientific discoveries are most often made by very young people. This happened with Isaac Newton, but all these epoch-making scientific achievements were published only twenty, and some even forty, years later. The desire not only to discover, but also to thoroughly prove the truth always remained the main thing for Newton.

The works of the great scientist opened up a completely new picture of the world to his contemporaries. It turned out that celestial bodies located at enormous distances are interconnected by gravitational forces into a single system.

In the course of his research, Newton determined the mass and density of the planets and found that the planets closest to the Sun are the most dense.

He also proved that it is not an ideal ball: it is “flattened” at and “swollen” at the equator, and is explained by the action of gravity and the Sun.

Scientific research and discoveries of Isaac Newton

In order to list all the scientific achievements of Isaac Newton, more than a dozen pages are needed.

He created the corpuscular theory, suggesting that light is a stream of tiny particles, and discovered the dispersion of light, interference and diffraction.

He built the first one - the prototype of those giant telescopes that are installed today in the largest observatories in the world.

He discovered the fundamental law of universal gravitation and the main laws of classical mechanics, developed the theory of celestial bodies, and his three-volume work “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy” brought the scientist worldwide fame.

Among other things, Newton turned out to be a wonderful economist - when he was appointed director of the British court, he quickly put money circulation in the country in order and started issuing a new coin.

The scientist’s works often remained misunderstood by his contemporaries, he was subjected to fierce criticism from his colleagues - mathematicians and astronomers, but in 1705, Queen Anne of Great Britain elevated the son of a simple farmer to knighthood. For the first time in history, the title of knight was awarded for scientific merit.

The Legend of the Apple and Newton

The story of the discovery of the law of universal gravitation - when Newton's thoughts were interrupted by the fall of a ripe apple, from which the scientist concluded about the mutual attraction of bodies with different masses, and then mathematically described this dependence with the famous formula - is simply a legend.

However, for a whole century, the British showed visitors “that same” apple tree, and when the tree grew old, it was cut down and made into a bench, which is preserved as a historical monument.

Great personality

The lives of epoch-making personalities and their progressive role have been meticulously studied over many centuries. They gradually build up in the eyes of descendants from event to event, overgrown with details recreated from documents and all sorts of idle inventions. So is Isaac Newton. A brief biography of this man, who lived in the distant 17th century, can only be contained in a book volume the size of a brick.

So let's begin. Isaac Newton - English (now substitute “great” for each word) astronomer, mathematician, physicist, mechanic. In 1672 he became a scientist of the Royal Society of London, and in 1703 - its president. Creator of theoretical mechanics, founder of all modern physics. Described all physical phenomena based on mechanics; discovered the law of universal gravitation, which explained cosmic phenomena and the dependence of earthly realities on them; tied the causes of tides in the oceans to the movement of the Moon around the Earth; described the laws of our entire solar system. It was he who first began to study the mechanics of continuous media, physical optics and acoustics. Independently of Leibniz, Isaac Newton developed differential and integral equations, discovered the dispersion of light, chromatic aberration, tied mathematics to philosophy, wrote works on interference and diffraction, worked on the corpuscular theory of light, theories of space and time. It was he who designed the reflecting telescope and organized the coin business in England. In addition to mathematics and physics, Isaac Newton studied alchemy, the chronology of ancient kingdoms, and wrote theological works. The genius of the famous scientist was so far ahead of the entire scientific level of the seventeenth century that his contemporaries remembered him to a greater extent as an exceptionally good person: non-covetous, generous, extremely modest and friendly, always ready to help his neighbor.

Childhood

The great Isaac Newton was born into the family of a small farmer who died three months ago in a small village. His biography began on January 4, 1643 with the fact that a very small premature baby was placed in a sheepskin mitten on a bench, from which he fell, hitting him hard. The child grew up sickly and therefore unsociable; he could not keep up with his peers in fast games and became addicted to books. Relatives noticed this and sent little Isaac to school, where he graduated as the first student. Later, seeing his zeal for learning, they allowed him to continue studying. Isaac entered Cambridge. Since there was not enough money for training, his role as a student would have been very humiliating if he had not been lucky with his mentor.

Youth

At that time, poor students could only study as servants from their teachers. This is the fate that befell the future brilliant scientist. There are all sorts of legends, some of them ugly, about this period in Newton’s life and creative path. The mentor whom Isaac served was an influential Freemason who traveled not only throughout Europe, but also throughout Asia, including the Middle East, the Far East, and the Southeast. On one of his trips, as the legend says, he was entrusted with ancient manuscripts of Arab scientists, whose mathematical calculations we still use today. According to legend, Newton had access to these manuscripts, and they inspired many of his discoveries.

Science

Over six years of study and service, Isaac Newton went through all the stages of college and became a Master of Arts.

During the plague epidemic, he had to leave his alma mater, but he did not waste time: he studied the physical nature of light, built the laws of mechanics. In 1668, Isaac Newton returned to Cambridge and soon received the Lucasian chair of mathematics. He got it from his teacher, I. Barrow, that same Mason. Newton quickly became his favorite student, and in order to financially provide for his brilliant protégé, Barrow abandoned the chair in his favor. By that time, Newton was already the author of the binomial. And this is only the beginning of the biography of the great scientist. What followed was a life full of titanic mental labor. Newton was always modest and even shy. For example, he did not publish his discoveries for a long time and was constantly planning to destroy one or another chapter of his amazing “Principles.” He believed that he owed everything to those giants on whose shoulders he stood, meaning, probably, his predecessor scientists. Although who could precede Newton if he literally said the very first and most weighty word about everything in the world.

The English physicist Sir Isaac Newton, whose brief biography is provided here, became famous for his numerous discoveries in the field of physics, mechanics, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.

Inspired by the works of Galileo Galilei, René Descartes, Kepler, Euclid and Wallis, Newton made many important discoveries, laws and inventions that modern science still relies on.

When and where was Isaac Newton born?

Isaac Newton House

Sir Isaac Newton (Sir Isaac Newton, years of life 1643 - 1727) was born on December 24, 1642 (January 4, 1643 new style) in the country-state of England, Lincolnshire, in the city of Woolsthorpe.

His mother went into labor prematurely and Isaac was born premature. At birth, the boy turned out to be so physically weak that they were afraid to even baptize him: everyone thought that he would die without living even a couple of years.

However, such a “prophecy” did not prevent him from living to old age and becoming a great scientist.

There is an opinion that Newton was Jewish by nationality, but this is not documented. It is known that he belonged to the English aristocracy.

I. Newton's childhood

The boy never saw his father, also named Isaac (Newton Jr. was named after his father - a tribute to memory), - he died before he was born.

The family later had three more children, whom the mother, Anna Ayscough, gave birth to from her second husband. With their appearance, few people were interested in the fate of Isaac: the boy grew up deprived of love, although the family was considered prosperous.

His uncle William on his mother’s side made more efforts in raising and caring for Newton. The boy's childhood can hardly be called happy.

Already at an early age, Isaac showed his talents as a scientist: he spent a lot of time reading books and loved making things. He was withdrawn and uncommunicative.

Where did Newton study?

In 1655, a 12-year-old boy was sent to school in Grantham. During his training, he lived with a local pharmacist named Clark.

At the educational institution, abilities in the field of physics, mathematics, and astronomy showed, but mother Anna took her son out of school after 4 years.

16-year-old Isaac was supposed to manage the farm, but he didn’t like this arrangement: the young man was more drawn to reading books and inventing.

Thanks to his uncle, schoolmaster Stokes and a teacher from Cambridge University, Isaac was reinstated into the ranks of the school's students to continue his educational activities.

In 1661, the guy entered Trinity College, Cambridge University for free education. In 1664 he passed the exams, which transferred him to the status of a student. From this moment on, the young man continues his studies and receives a scholarship. In 1665 he was forced to quit studying due to the closure of the university for quarantine (plague epidemic).

Around this period he created his first inventions. Afterwards, in 1667, the young man was reinstated as a student and continued to gnaw on the granite of science.

A significant role in Isaac Newton's passion for the exact sciences is played by his mathematics teacher Isaac Barrow.

It is curious that in 1668 the mathematical physicist received the title of master and graduated from the university, and almost immediately began giving lectures to other students.

What did Newton discover?

The scientist’s discoveries are used in educational literature: both in school and university, and in a wide variety of disciplines (mathematics, physics, astronomy).

His main ideas were new for that century:

1. His most important and significant discoveries were made between 1665 and 1667, during the bubonic plague in London. The University of Cambridge was temporarily closed and its teaching staff disbanded due to the raging infection. The 18-year-old student left for his homeland, where he discovered the law of universal gravitation, and also conducted various experiments with the colors of the spectrum and optics.
2. His discoveries in mathematics include third-order algebraic curves, binomial expansion, and methods for solving differential equations. Differential and integral calculus were developed almost at the same time as Leibniz, independently of each other.
3. In the field of classical mechanics, he created an axiomatic basis, as well as such a science as dynamics.
4. It is impossible not to mention the three laws, where their name “Newton’s laws” comes from: the first, second and third.
5. The foundation was laid for further research in astronomy, including celestial mechanics.

Philosophical significance of Newton's discoveries

The physicist worked on his discoveries and inventions from both a scientific and religious point of view.

He noted that he wrote his book “Principles” not in order to “belittle the Creator,” but still emphasized his power. The scientist believed that the world was “quite independent.”

He was a supporter of Newtonian philosophy.

Books by Isaac Newton

Newton's published books during his lifetime:

1. "Method of differences".
2. "Enumeration of lines of third order."
3. "Mathematical principles of natural philosophy."
4. "Optics or a treatise on the reflections, refractions, bendings and colors of light."
5. "A New Theory of Light and Colors."
6. "On the quadrature of curves."
7. "Motion of bodies in orbit."
8. "Universal Arithmetic".
9. "Analysis using equations with an infinite number of terms."

1. "Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms" .
2. "The World System".
3. "Method of fluxions ».
4. Lectures on optics.
5. Notes on the book of the prophet Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John.
6. "Brief Chronicle".
7. "A Historical Tracing of Two Notable Corruptions of Holy Scripture."

Newton's inventions

He began taking his first steps in invention as a child, as mentioned above.

In 1667, all the university teachers were amazed by the telescope he created, which was invented by the future scientist: it was a breakthrough in the field of optics.

In 1705, the Royal Society awarded Isaac a knighthood for his contributions to science. Now he was called Sir Isaac Newton, he had his own coat of arms and a not very reliable pedigree.

His inventions also include:

1. A water clock powered by the rotation of a wooden block, which in turn vibrates from falling drops of water.
2. A reflector, which was a telescope with a concave lens. The device gave impetus to research into the night sky. It was also used by sailors to navigate the high seas.
3. Windmill.
4. Scooter.

Personal life of Isaac Newton

According to contemporaries, Newton’s day began and ended with books: he spent so much time reading them that he often forgot to even eat.

The famous scientist had no personal life at all. Isaac was never married; according to rumors, he even remained a virgin.

When did Sir Isaac Newton die and where is he buried?

Isaac Newton died on March 20 (March 31, 1727 - new style date) in Kensington, UK. Two years before his death, the physicist began to have health problems. He died in his sleep. His grave is in Westminster Abbey.

A few not so popular facts:

1. An apple did not fall on Newton's head - this is a myth invented by Voltaire. But the scientist himself really sat under the tree. Now it is a monument.
2. As a child, Isaac was very lonely, as he was all his life. Having lost her father early, her mother focused entirely on her new marriage and three new children, who were quickly left without a father.
3. At the age of 16, his mother took her son out of school, where he began to show extraordinary abilities at an early age, so that he began managing the farm. The school teacher, his uncle and another acquaintance, a member of Cambridge College, insisted on the boy returning to school, from which he successfully graduated and entered the university.
4. According to the recollections of classmates and teachers, Isaac spent most of his time reading books, forgetting even to eat and sleep - this was the life he most desired.
5. Isaac was the keeper of the British Mint.
6. After the death of the scientist, his autobiography was released.

Conclusion

Sir Isaac Newton's contribution to science is truly enormous, and it is quite difficult to underestimate his contribution. His discoveries to this day are the foundations of modern science as a whole, and his laws are studied in school and other educational institutions.

“I don’t know how the world perceives me, but to myself I seem to be only a boy playing on the seashore, who amuses himself by occasionally finding a pebble more colorful than the others, or a beautiful shell, while the great ocean of truth spreads out before me unexplored,” Newton’s opinion of himself.

The idea of ​​the universal force of gravity was expressed before Newton. Epicurus, Kepler, Descartes, Huygens and others thought about it. Kepler believed that gravity is inversely proportional to the distance to the Sun and extends only in the ecliptic plane; Descartes considered it the result of vortices in the ether. But before Newton, no one was able to clearly and mathematically conclusively connect law of gravitation(a force inversely proportional to the square of the distance) and laws of planetary motion(Kepler's laws).

In his main work, “The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy” (1687), Isaac Newton derived the law of gravitation, based on Kepler’s empirical laws, known at that time. He showed that:

• the observed movements of the planets indicate the presence of a central force;
• conversely, the central force of attraction leads to elliptical (or hyperbolic) orbits.

• law of gravitation;
• law of motion (Newton's second law);
• system of methods for mathematical research (mathematical analysis).

Thus, the foundations of celestial mechanics were created. Before Einstein, no fundamental amendments to this model were needed.

Strictly speaking, Newton's theory of gravity was no longer heliocentric. The planet does not revolve around the Sun, but around a common center of gravity, since not only the Sun attracts the planet, but the planet also attracts the Sun. Finally, it became clear that it was necessary to take into account the influence of the planets on each other. Newton derived theoretically, that is, based on the principles of rational mechanics, one of Kepler’s laws, which states that the centers of the planets describe ellipses and that the center of the Sun is at the focus of their orbits.

Opening Newton led to the creation of a new picture of the world, according to which all planets located at enormous distances from each other are connected into one system. Further research Newton allowed him to determine the mass and density of the planets and the Sun. He found that the planets closest to the Sun are the most dense.

Newton proved that the Earth is a sphere, expanded at the equator and flattened at the poles, as well as the dependence of the tides on the action of the Moon and the Sun on the waters of the seas and oceans.

Over time, it turned out that the law of universal gravitation makes it possible to explain and predict the movements of celestial bodies with great accuracy, and it began to be considered fundamental. At the same time, Newton's theory contained a number of difficulties. The main one is the inexplicable long-range action: it is not clear how the force of attraction was transmitted through completely empty space, and infinitely quickly. Essentially, Newton's model was purely mathematical, without any physical content.

But the outstanding successes of celestial mechanics in the 18th century confirmed the Newtonian model: the first observed deviations from Newton’s theory in astronomy (the shift of the perihelion of Mercury) were discovered only 200 years later. These deviations were soon explained by the general theory of relativity (GR); Newton's theory turned out to be an approximate version of it. General Relativity also filled the theory of gravitation with physical content and made it possible to get rid of long-range action (according to the concept of long-range action, bodies act on each other without material intermediaries, through emptiness, at any distance. Such interaction occurs at an infinitely high speed, but obeys certain laws. An example of a force considered One of the examples of direct action at a distance can be considered the force of universal gravitation in Newton’s classical theory of gravity).

About Newton's life

Isaac Newton was born in 1642 into the family of a wealthy farmer in the village of Woolsthorpe (Lincolnshire), but his father died before his son was born. The boy was weak and sickly, he was named Isaac in honor of his deceased father.

The boy was raised by his maternal uncle as a child. At the age of 12, he went to study at a local school, where his extraordinary abilities immediately manifested themselves: he wrote poetry, read a lot, and constantly designed something. And although his mother took him out of school and wanted to leave him in charge of the estate, those around him, including school teachers, realized that he was an unusually gifted young man, and were able to persuade his mother to allow him to study at college at Cambridge University. The range of his interests and hobbies was so wide that he sometimes even forgot about food: he continued to make (mainly scientific instruments), and was enthusiastically engaged in optics, astronomy, mathematics, phonetics, and music theory. Then I became interested in mathematics. 1665-1667 - “plague years” in England. Classes in educational institutions were stopped, Newton went home to Woolsthorpe, and these were very fruitful years in his scientific activity: after conducting a series of ingenious optical experiments, he proved that white color is a mixture of the colors of the spectrum. But his most significant discovery during these years was law of universal gravitation. It states that the force of gravitational attraction between two material points of mass m 1 and m 2 separated by distance, is proportional to both masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them - that is: . Here G - gravitational constant equal to .

There is a well-known legend that Newton discovered the law of gravitation by observing the fall of an apple. But his theory of universal gravitation developed gradually: by comparing the periods of several planets and their distances from the Sun, he discovered that from Kepler’s third law, connecting the periods of revolution of planets with the distance to the Sun, it follows precisely the “inverse square formula” for the law of gravity (in the circular approximation orbits). Newton wrote out the final formulation of the law of gravitation, which was included in textbooks, later, after the laws of mechanics became clear to him. It is characteristic of him that he never sought fame and was in no hurry to publish his discoveries, and even this first scientific work.

Continuing to engage in science and at the same time teaching, he gradually received a bachelor's and master's degrees, but teaching did not interest him. Having become a court chaplain (a priest who combines the rank with some additional, usually secular, position), he left teaching.

He created a reflecting telescope: a lens and a concave spherical mirror, which he made and polished himself. Newton's first design (1668) was unsuccessful, but the next one gave a 40-fold increase in excellent quality.

Rumors about the new instrument quickly reached London, at the end of 1671 - beginning of 1672 he demonstrated the reflector before the king, and then at the Royal Society. Newton became famous and in January 1672 was elected a member of the Royal Society. Later, improved reflectors became the main tools of astronomers, with their help the planet Uranus, other galaxies, and red shift were discovered.

A feature of Newton’s character was that he valued relationships with colleagues, but did not like conflicts and disputes, and there was just enough of this; incompetent attacks especially infuriated him. He even vowed to himself not to get involved in scientific disputes.

In 1684-1686. he is working on a book "Mathematical principles of natural philosophy." In it, Newton strictly proves, based on the observed picture of the motion of the planets and their satellites, that the law of gravity operates in nature. A significant part of the book is occupied by calculations, drawings and tables.

In 1696, Newton left Cambridge and moved to London, taking up the position of Warden of the Mint. He thoroughly studied the technology of coin production, put documents and records in order for the last 30 years, promoting monetary reform. In England during these years, inferior coins and, in considerable quantities, counterfeit coins were in circulation. Trimming the edges of silver coins became widespread. Now the coins began to be produced on special machines, with an inscription along the rim, so that criminal grinding of the metal became impossible. Over the course of 2 years, the old, inferior silver coin was completely withdrawn from circulation and re-minted, and the production of new coins increased. Newton proposed exchanging money at par, and inflation dropped sharply. But an honest and competent person at the head of the Mint did not suit everyone. From the very first days, complaints and denunciations rained down on Newton, and inspection commissions constantly appeared. As it turned out, many denunciations came from counterfeiters, irritated by Newton's reforms. Newton was indifferent to slander, but never forgave if it affected his honor and reputation. He was personally involved in dozens of investigations, and more than 100 counterfeiters were tracked down and convicted. The number of counterfeit coins in England has decreased significantly. Thus, the reforms carried out by the scientist not only prevented an economic crisis, but also, after decades, led to a significant increase in the country’s well-being.

In 1698, the Russian Tsar Peter visited the Mint I . In 1700, a monetary reform similar to the English one was carried out in Russia.

In 1699, Newton's system of the world began to be taught at Cambridge and Oxford, and the Paris Academy of Sciences elected him as a foreign member.

In 1705, Queen Anne knighted Newton. From now on he Sir Isaac Newton . For the first time in English history, the title of knight was awarded for scientific merit.

Newton devoted the last years of his life to writing the Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, which he worked on for about 40 years, as well as preparing the third edition of the Principia, which included a fairly complete reference book on comets observed since the 14th century. Among others, the calculated orbit was presented Comet Halley, the reappearance of which in 1758 confirmed the theoretical calculations of the (by then deceased) Newton and Halley.

In 1725, Newton's health noticeably deteriorated, and he moved to Kensington, not far from London, where he died at night, in his sleep, in March 1727. He did not leave a written will, but shortly before his death he transferred a significant part of his large fortune to his closest relatives. Buried in Westminster Abbey. On his grave there is an inscription: “ Here lies Sir Isaac Newton, the nobleman who, with an almost divine mind, was the first to prove with the torch of mathematics the motion of the planets, the paths of comets, and the tides of the oceans.

He investigated the difference in light rays and the various properties of colors that appeared at the same time, which no one had previously suspected. A diligent, wise and faithful interpreter of nature, antiquity and Holy Scripture, he affirmed with his philosophy the greatness of Almighty God, and with his disposition he expressed evangelical simplicity.

Let mortals rejoice that such an adornment of the human race existed." .