Newton's Universe

Newton - the Transition Man

Isaac Newton may very well be considered the scientist who represents the transition from a philosophically based science to a more objective and analytical method of looking at natural events. Newton's views of nature focused on what could be observed and expressed mathematically and/or with an objective form of reasoning. 

Yet, in his observational objectivity, Newton retained a solid view of God's role in the process. In fact, much of Newton's writings addressed the philosophical portrayal of the God-concept in creating and structuring the universe and the principles illustrated in it. There are several good biographies of Newton, but you can read an excellent condensed version of Newton's life here. This particular document will give a good overview of the philosophical views which guided his reasoning and actions.

Moving... or not! (Newton's Three Laws of Motion)

What seems simple and common to us took the genius of Newton to formulate as natural laws. His observations and analysis led him to describe the relationships involved in being at rest, starting to move, continuing to move and then coming to rest again.

We categorize those "laws" as follows. The list below gives the super-short statement. The video that follows the list expands the concepts, and another website gives a simplified analysis with animations about the three laws of motion.

1. Inertia

2. F = ma

3. Action-Reaction

Newton's Laws of Motion


Sample Questions

1.  A Mars Lander has a mass on Earth of 2000 kg. Which of the following statements is true?

(a) When on Mars its weight will be greater because of the changed gravity of Mars.

(b) The inertia of the Lander is larger on earth than Mars

(c)  Newton’s first law applies on Mars the same as it does on Earth

(d) It takes more force to accelerate it upward on Mars than on Earth

2. Which of the following is an example of a force?      

(a) 20 m/s                       (c) 20 m/s North                   

(b) 20 Newtons             (d) 20 m/s/s

3.  If you double the unbalanced force on an object of a given mass, the acceleration will be

        (a) unchanged                              (c) increased fourfold

        (b) increased by one-half            (d) doubled

4. Which of the following athletes would possess the smallest inertia?   

(a) a 100 kg linebacker moving at 3 m/s

        (b) a 90 kg quarterback moving at 9 m/s

        (c) a 110 kg linebacker standing in a huddle

        (d) they all have the same inertia              

5. Newton’s First Law states that once an object is in motion it will stay in motion

        (a) until an outside, unbalanced force acts             

(b) until it comes to a stop         

(c) until gravity causes it to slow down

(d) until its inertia reaches zero

6. What is always needed to cause an object to accelerate? 

        (a) an unbalanced force                             

(b) forces acting in opposite directions

        (c) a large speed          

(d) a very large force

7.  The unit Newtons is used to measure force, which is also a measure of

        (a) weight                                      (c) inertia

        (b) acceleration                             (d) quantity of matter

8. A person has a mass of 100 kilograms on the surface of the earth. If the person goes to the moon, which of the following is true?

        (a) The person will weigh less than on earth

        (b) the mass of the person will decrease

 (c) the person will have more inertia

(d) none of the above are true

(e) all of the above are true