Isaac Newtons New Physics, Dr. Gordon Britian
Isaac Newtons New Physics, Dr. Gordon Britian
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Isaac Newton's New Physics

Author: Dr. Gordon Britian

Narrator: Edwin Newman

Unabridged: 2 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/27/2006

Categories: Nonfiction, Science


Synopsis

Isaac Newton (16421727) achieved momentous breakthroughs in three areas: mathematics (the calculus), a theory of colors, and gravitational attraction. His first insights in each of these areas occurred during the "wonder years" of 166566, when retreat from the plague isolated Newton at Woolsthorpe. Newton's theory of "fluxions", along with independent work by Leibniz, created the methods of modern calculus. Building on the analytic geometry of Rene' Descartes, these techniques allow us to reason about the infinitely small and infinitely small and infinitely large in a mathematically rigorous way. Newton also revised Descartes' theory of light to show that white light is composed of different rays, each associated with a specific angle of refraction and a specific color. Newton also invented the reflection telescope, and considered his work on light to be his first great success. The famous theory of gravitation was built on the foundation of Galileo's laws of terrestrial motion and Kepler's laws of celestial motion. Newton described the inversesquare law of gravitation (F=1/r2); his famous Principia of 1686 included three famous laws: 1. Bodies continue in motion or at rest unless changed by a force. 2. Force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). 3. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Newton also provided the universal law of gravitation (F=Gm, m2/r2) and showed that the gravitational force (the factor G in this equation) is constant for all bodies.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex on January 16, 2022

I liked this audiobook summary of Isaac Newton, his theories and biography. I was a little disappointed that they didn't mention (or maybe I just missed it) that Newton invented the serrated edge on the coins we use today. Look at a quarter on edge and you will see Sir Isaac Newton's genius. His mis......more

Goodreads review by Lafourche on July 25, 2016

I downloaded this free audiobook from Hoopla onto my iPhone. I listened to it while I cleaned up and ran errands over the weekend. This was a quick listen (3 hours). It briefly goes through the early life of Isaac Newton and describes how he was just a normal guy, quiet and introverted, and then he......more

Goodreads review by Nick on December 20, 2008

Listened to the unabridged audio version. This is more of a history of Newton and how he came to many of his discoveries more than an explanation of the physics itself (though there's a fair degree of physics in the story too.) I think this is an enjoyable tale if you like to learn about the historic......more