10 famous Isaac Newton inventions

Referring to the great inventor Isaac Newton, surely everyone thinks of the story of " the apple that falls on the head " that makes the theory of all things fascinating. Not only that, he also possesses many great inventions that help change the world: three laws of motion, differential, integral, hypocrisy .

At Westminster Abbey, an inscription in Latin was engraved on Newton's grave "Hic depositum est, quod mortale fult Isaac Newtoni" in the sense of "A man who once existed and adorned the distribution. development of humanity ".

This praise is not excessive for the legacy that Newton has left for humanity. Let's review the ten important and well-known but also interesting inventions of Isaac Newton throughout his creative career that we may rarely pay attention to.

1. The idea of ​​Newton cannon firing into orbit

For some distorting opinions, how does a man snoring and an accidentally falling apple make such a great invention? The result of the "waiting for the loss" process ? Not at all, that only comes with a genius mind that always thinks about the laws of physics that are specifically gravity. Newton not only stopped at gravity but also gave many other ideas ahead of his time. In the universal law of gravitation, Newton described a giant mountain whose peak is about above the Earth's atmosphere, at the top of which has an extremely large cannon that can fire a bullet in the direction horizontal to outer space.

Newton had no intention of creating a super weapon to shoot alien invaders! His cannon was an experimental idea to explain how to put an object into an orbit around the Earth .

If gravity hits too much, it will follow the path depending on its initial velocity.

• Low speed, it will simply fall back on Earth.If speed is the orbital speed, it will travel around the Earth in a fixed circular orbit like the moon.
• The speed is higher than the orbital velocity, but not large enough to leave the earth completely (lower than the escape velocity) it will continue to orbit the Earth along an elliptical orbit.
• Very high speed, it will really leave orbit and fly out into space.

The experiment was presented in Principia Mathematica in 1687, whereby all particles cause an attraction and are attracted to other objects. This interaction depends on the weight and distance of the particle or object. This rule governs all phenomena from falling rain to the orbits of the planets. This is a famous work with many important contributions to classical physics and provides a theoretical basis for space travel as well as the development of rockets later. Later, Einstein and the physicists of the 16th and 17th centuries continued to strengthen Newton's theory to give us insights into gravity as it is today.

2. Door for cats and dogs

Not only did he have a macroscopic vision like a space cannon and discovered a connection between things in the universe, Newton also used his great wisdom to solve common problems in everyday life. . Typically, the method helps cats do not need to scratch the door by creating a path for them.

As we all know, Newton is not married and has few friends, in return he chooses cats and dogs to be friends in his room. Currently, there are many theories and arguments that he has taken a lot of interest in his little "friends" . Some contemporary historians argue that Newton is an animal lover. Some also point out that he named his dog Diamond. However, some historians still doubt the theory.

A story tells that during Newton's research at Cambridge University, his experiments were constantly interrupted by a cat that kept scratching the door of the lab causing loud sounds. To solve the problem, he invited a carpenter at Cambridge to cut two holes in the lab entrance: a big hole for a mother cat and a small hole for kittens!

Whether the story is true or false, according to contemporary records after Newton's death, there is an obvious fact that a door with two holes corresponds to the size of the mother and cat. baby Until today there is still much controversy surrounding the story above. However, many still believe that Newton is the author of the door for cats and dogs still in use today.

3. Three laws of Newton's motion

While historians still argue about whether the doors for pets are Newton's, no one can deny Newton's contribution to human understanding in physics today. The importance is equivalent to the discovery of the law of universal gravitation, the three laws of motion introduced by Newton in 1687 in Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles in Natural Philosophy). His three laws laid a solid foundation for the development of classical mechanics (also known as Newtonian mechanics) in later times.

His three laws are briefly described as follows:

• If an object is not affected by any force or is affected by forces with zero force, it remains in a state of standing still or moving evenly.
• The acceleration of an object is in the same direction as the force acting on the object.The magnitude of the acceleration is proportional to the magnitude of the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.
• In all cases, when object A acts on object B a force, then object B re-applies object A as a force.These two forces have the same price, the same size but the opposite direction.

Cover of the book Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical principles in natural philosophy) published in 1687

Today, we can easily speak and understand the three famous laws. However, scholars in history have struggled with the basic concepts of motion for centuries. The Greek philosopher Aristotle used to think that the smoke that could fly in the air was because the air contained a lot of air. Previously, other scholars thought that smoke flew into the sky to gather with their "friends" smoke. The French philosopher René Descartes used to think about theories of motion similar to Newton but in the end, he still thought that God was the driving force of the movements.

3 Newton's laws as a beauty come from minimalism in science. Although simple, this is the basis for scientists to understand everything from the electrons to the spiral motion of the whole galaxy.

4. The stone witch of Newton's "alchemist"

In a drawing of an alchemist, we see planetary symbols depicting metals in a book that is open on the floor. This is said to be the symbols that Newton used in his notes.

Newton devoted a great deal to mankind with his scientific discoveries. Besides, people also mentioned him as one of the most eminent alchemists: alchemy legend with a witch's stone . The written records that have been archived to this day have many different descriptions of this rock: from the ability to create people from stone to the ability to transform from lead to gold. Even those who now believe that his stone can heal or turn a headless cow into a swarm of bees.

Perhaps you will wonder why a symbol of science becomes an alchemist? To answer that question, think about the context now, the scientific revolution only reached the steam engine in the 1600s. The alchemists still existed with error tricks. their time with occult theories and philosophies to fascinate some people. However, alchemical records are still thought to be chemical experiments.

The remains of Newton's pen remain in the study of alchemy

However, notes during the 30 years of Newton's experiment revealed that he also hoped for something more than normal chemical reactions, even promising to turn other elements into. into gold. According to historian William Newman, he suggested that Newton wanted to seek " super-powers in nature ."

These are grounds for the argument that Newton also had studies and left notes on alchemy that contemporaries called " the witch's stone ." Records show that he sought to create mysterious elements at that time. In fact, Newton made efforts to create a purple copper alloy. Even so, his research failed.

This may not be a Newtonian invention, but it also gives us a glimpse of the thoughts and times he devoted to scientific research. In 2005, historian Newman also created a " witch stone " based on Newton's 300-year-old records and, of course, no transformation that made gold happen.

5. The father of differential calculus

Newton's pen remains preserved today

If you have been or are having a headache with math but especially integrals and differentials have plowed your brain, you can dump some of Newton's fault! In fact, the mathematical system is a tool so that we can learn everything in this universe. Like many of his contemporaries, Newton realized that previous algebra and geometry theories were not enough for his scientific research requirements. The contemporary math system is not enough to serve him.

Mathematicians at that time were able to calculate the speed of a ship but they still could not calculate the relationship with its acceleration as well as the rate of impact. They still could not calculate how much the firing angle was for the cannon to fly farthest. Contemporary mathematicians still need a method to calculate functions with many variables.

An event occurred during Newton's research, a plague outbreak that caused a series of deaths across the streets of Cambridge. All stores were closed and of course, Newton had to limit himself to going out. It was around 18 months of Newton's study that he built a mathematical model and named "the science of continuity".

Today, we know that these are micro-integral calculus. An important tool in physics, economics and probability sciences . In the 1960s, it was these micro-integral functions that provided the tool to allow Apollp spacecraft engineers to calculate the mission data on the Moon.

Of course, Newton alone did not create the math we use today. In addition to Newton, the German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) independently developed the micro-integral calculus model at the same time as Newton. Nevertheless, we still have to recognize the importance of Newton in the development of modern mathematics with his remarkable contributions.

6. "Born" with the rainbow

Newton's experiment

Rainbow ? What is a rainbow? Do you think Newton left the secrets inside the rainbow? No problem! Our genius is determined to decipher what is hidden inside this natural phenomenon. In 1704, he wrote a book on light refraction with the title "Opticks" . The book has played a significant part in changing our way of thinking about light and color.

Scientists now know that rainbows are formed when light is refracted and reflected in rainwater particles in the air. Still, they have not been able to explain why the rainbow is so colorful. When Newton began his studies at Cambridge, popular theories had previously suggested that water particles somehow dyed different colors on the sun's rays.

Using a prism and a lamp, Newton performed the experiment by allowing light to shine through the prism . And the result as we all know, light is split into colors like rainbows.

7. Reflex telescope

A copy of the reflecting telescope made by Newton and presented to the Royal Council in 1672

Newton was born in a period when telescope presence was still quite faint. However, scientists have been able to create models using a set of glass lenses to enlarge images. In Newton's experiments with colors, he learned that different colors would refract at different angles, thereby creating a dim image for viewers.

To improve image quality, Newton proposed using a refraction mirror instead of previous refractive lenses. A large mirror will capture the image, then a smaller mirror will reflect the captured image to the eye's eye. This method not only creates a clearer image but also allows you to create a telescope with a smaller size.

Some argue that the Scottish mathematician James Gregory was the first to propose the idea of ​​constructing a reflecting telescope in 1663, although the model still has not been fully operational. However, based on archived records, historians argue that Newton was the first to be able to build a reflecting telescope based on his proposed theory.

In fact, Newton sharpened the mirrors himself, assembled a prototype and presented it to the Royal Council in 1672. It was merely a device of 15 centimeters long, capable of eliminating chipping. radiation and magnification up to 40 times. To this day, almost all astronomical stations use variations of Newton's original design.

8. Perfect coin

2-pound coins in the UK with 2 knots around the edge

In the late 1600s, the British financial system was in serious crisis. Now, the whole monetary system in the UK uses silver coins and, of course, silver itself has a higher value than the nominal value printed on each coin. At that time a problem arises, someone will trim the silver content and add other metals in the process of making and casting money. The amount of cropped silver will be "bleeding " to France through the border to sell for a higher price.

Even then, it was the crisis of competing for bid to cast money . Therefore, people's confidence in the financial system is seriously reduced. At the same time, criminal organizations make counterfeit money also spread because there is no reliable standard currency in circulation. On the other hand, fraud also takes place during the money-making process. After casting each batch of coins, people will weigh each coin taken out and see how much it deviates from the standard. If the value of silver is greater than the value printed on it, speculators will buy them, melt them out and continue to sell them to the money founders themselves to make a profit.

In response to that situation, in 1696, the British government called on Newton to help find a solution to find a countermeasure to copying and mutilating silver coins. Newton took a bold step to recover all coins across the country, conducting cooking again and casting according to his new design. This move has made the whole of England have no money in circulation for a year.

Now, Newton worked hard for 18 hours a day and finally, the new coin design was born. New coins are molded with higher silver quality, and at the same time every coin is marked with a special formula . Without the specialized aspect machines, it would be impossible to create characteristic coins that were cast by the Royal Family.

9. Heat loss

In his studies, Newton also spent a lot of time exploring the physical aspect of the cooling of substances. In the late 1700s, he conducted experiments with a red iron ball . He noted in the notes that there is a difference between the temperature of the iron ball and the surrounding air. Specifically, the temperature difference is up to 10 degrees C. And he also realized that the rate of heat loss is directly proportional to the difference in temperature.

Since then, Newton formed the law of cooling state . Accordingly, the body's rate of heat loss is proportional to the difference in temperature between the surrounding environment and the body temperature. Later, French chemist Piere Dulong and physicist Alexis Prtot perfected the law in 1817 based on Newton's research. Newton's principle laid the foundation for many other studies of modern physics from safe nuclear reactors to space exploration.

10. Newton's prediction of the end of the world

Picture of 4 fierce beasts appearing on the end of the world described in the Book of Daniel

Apocalypse is always a human obsession. However, Newton is not the type who can easily accept the fear of the end of the world through stories or legends. Newton himself was a pragmatic man and always sought to verify, giving his views during the study of the Bible .

During the course of the study, Newton did not place much emphasis on theology but used his knowledge to try to explain the problem. According to records 300 years ago, which has been archived to date, Newton studied the Book of Daniel. In order to serve the study, he studied Hebrew himself, focusing on esoteric Jewish philosophy.

Through research, he predicts that the end of the world is in 2060 or maybe later, but not sooner. Anyway, that's what he told people in the 18th century. Of course, today, scientists have had a better answer or prediction for the general apocalypse. . Thereby, we partly understand more about the view of a scientist in the 18th century on the end of mankind.