History of Science and Math Stack Exchange
History of Science and Math Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [newton]

For questions about Isaac Newton (1643-1727), mathematician and physicist, and his works

If the concerned question is about one of the works of Isaac Newton, this tag should be used along with or , depending on the field of that work, and the tag of the specific area of that work (, etc.).

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Why is there little scholarship devoted to Book II of Newton's Principia?

Books I and III seem to receive the bulk of attention by Newton scholars, and historians more generally. However, I'm sure an in-depth study of Book II would shed light on Newton as a thinker -- for that reason it must be of import, no?
Rain
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Can anyone find Newton's calculation error in Principia, Book III, Proposition XIX?

Musing about the historical evolution of the notation for the gravitational constant ($f$, $G$, $\kappa$, $\kappa^2$), I found myself digging for the first time in my life into Newton's Principia, looking for the data he could have used (had he…
mmanu F
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Third law of motion before Newton?

Are there any traces of the third law of motion before Newton's Principia? wiki says Newton arrived at his set of three laws incrementally. In a 1684 manuscript written to Huygens, he listed four laws: the principle of inertia, the change of motion…
user157860
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Did Newton already have F= ma (or equivalent) before finding his gravity equations?

Newton's gravity equations are in an F = ma configuration. Multiply the acceleration formula by m, you get the force formula. So did he have F = ma (or some equivalent - I think the concept of acceleration may not have been a direct quantity in…
David
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how did people build temples and buildings in the ancient times without knowing newton's law?

If nowaday an engineer needs to know high level of mathematics and physics to complete the constructions of bridges buildings and so on what happened in ancient rome, greek middle ages ? they had no idea of physics so how could build they a temple…
Jose Javier Garcia
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Online resources for 19th century physics textbooks

I remember seeing Newton's force equation written in a 19th century textbook as $F=(M+m)/R^2$ (instead of $Mm$). I don't remember if they used $G$. Do you know a collection of 19th century physics textbooks available online? I'm trying to locate…
zeynel
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Identification of Rare Newton Statue

I'm not sure where else to post this. No matter how inventive my Google searches, I am unable to locate an active webpage containing this rare statue of Isaac Newton that I stored on my computer a number of years ago. Can anybody identify…
user7348
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