Isaac Newton: a grave loss to the farming profession
By Nathan Chan
A portrait of Isaac Newton (Photo: Painting by Godfrey Kneller, [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England on January 4 1643 to Hannah Ayscough and Isaac Newton Sr. Everyone knows that Isaac Newton is famous for discovering gravity, but there is a lot more to him. Here are some facts you might not know about him:
1. Newton discovered the three laws of motion: the law of inertia, the law of force and acceleration, and the law of action reaction.
The first law of motion, the law of inertia, states that an object only moves or doesn’t move when another object moves or stops it. The law also states that an object does not stop until a force acts on it.
The second law of motion, the law of force, states that the net force acting on the object depends on the acceleration and the mass on the object.
The third law of motion, the law of action reaction, states that when a force acts on an object, there has to be another force that repels it.
An example of the laws of motion in work is when you push a truck. By moving the truck, you are using the first law of motion. The net force in the second law of motion, you, are pushing the mass, the truck. The third law of motion applies to the force that repels your pushing.
2. Isaac Newton also invented the first reflective telescope.
Hans Lipperhey invented the refractor, or the refractor telescope, which focuses light on a certain spot. However, Isaac Newton’s reflective telescope reflects the light and zooms into wherever you want it to. In a reflective telescope, light goes into the telescope and hits a primary mirror, which reflects the light back. Refractors are used to view closer objects, whereas reflective telescopes are specialised to look at deep space objects instead.
3. Isaac Newton's father died before Isaac Newton was born.
Isaac Newton’s father, Isaac Newton Sr, died October 6 1642, three months before Newton was born. Isaac Newton Sr was a wealthy farmer, though he was uneducated and left his wife widowed.
4. Isaac Newton's mother wanted her son to grow up as a farmer.
Isaac Newton’s father had been a farmer, so Isaac Newton’s mother wanted him to be a farmer too. When Isaac Newton was twelve, he was enrolled in a school in Grantham but was forced to quit at fifteen and return to Woolsthorpe Manor to work as a farmer. However, his mother was persuaded by his former headmaster to send Isaac Newton back to school.
Newton’s discoveries was among the most game-changing scientists and helped shape the world we live in today. We should continue the legacy of Isaac Newton and his discovery of the laws of nature.