Isaac Newton, the chief figure of the scientific revolution of the 17th century

The chief figure of the scientific revolution of the 17th century was Sir Isaac Newton. He was a physicist and mathematician, who laid the foundations of calculus, extended the understanding of colour and light, studied the mechanics of planetary motion, and discovered the law of gravitation.

Newton began his schooling in a village school and was later sent to The King's School, Grantham, where he became the top student.

In 1665 he discovered the generalized binomial theorem and began to develop a mathematical theory that would later become calculus.

For the next 18 months Newton worked at home on calculus, optics and the law of gravitation.

He investigated the refraction of light, demonstrating that a prism could decompose white light into a spectrum of colours, and that a lens and a second prism could recompose the multicoloured spectrum into white light. In this time he designed a reflecting telescope.

In July 5, 1687 Newton published the book “The Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica” (now known as the Principia). In this work Newton stated three universal laws of motion that remained unchanged more than two hundred years. A popular story claims that Newton was inspired to formulate his theory of universal gravitation by the fall of an apple from a tree.

Issac Newton was the greatest scientist in the world because his works are the basis of classic mechanics.

Kotekin R.