Sir Isaac Newton was a seventeenth-century natural philosopher who through his work in physics changed the world of science forever. Newton is most famous for his work in physics and mathematics. Isaac Newton is credited with independently founding calculus. He is generally thought of as the founder of physics, mostly in part of his study of gravity. In his time Newton was also a well-respected politician and theologian. Without Sir Isaac Newton humanity’s understanding of the physical world would not have progressed to the point it has today. Sir Isaac Newton was born on a small English farm on Christmas day in 1662. His father had owned the land, but passed away before Isaac was born. His mother, Hannah Ayscough, remarried when Isaac was two. At the age of twelve, Newton was sent to a school in Grantham. While attending school Isaac did not enjoy playing games with the other boys. He spent most of his time building complex models of machinery. When Isaac was fifteen years old, his stepfather passed away. Newton was forced to return home and work on his family’s farm. It soon became apparent to his mother that Newton was very unhappy. She then sent Isaac back to school. Isaac’s uncle was a graduate of Trinity College, in Cambridge. He …show more content…
This research included a telescope far superior to any other of the time. He was elected as a member of the society. As a member of the Royal Society, Isaac published many works on light. Newton proposed new theories on rays and refractions. Among these theories comes the experiment of a light spectra forming from light passed through a prism. Newton’s theories came under opposition. He patiently fought against those oppositions by continuing his work. During his intense optical research Newton invented the sextant, a device for measuring the distance between the moon and the stars. A modern version of this devise is still used among sailors