ISAAC NEWTON

Isaac Newton was born in England in 1643. He grew up on a farm. When he was a boy, he created lots of brilliant inventions like a windmill to grind corn and a water clock to tell time. When he was 18, Isaac went to study at Cambridge University. But in 1665 the Great Plague, which was a terrible disease, spread through England. Because of the disease, Cambridge University closed down. Isaac returned home to the farm. He continued studying and experimenting at home. One day he was in the garden. He saw an apple fall from a tree. ‘Why do apples fall down instead of going up?’ he wondered.

From this experience, Isaac produced the theory of gravity. Gravity is the force that pulls objects towards the Earth and keeps the planets moving around the sun. Isaac was also fascinated by light. He discovered that white light is actually made up of all the colours of the rainbow. Isaac also invented a special reflecting telescope using mirrors. It was much more powerful than other telescopes. Isaac made another very important discovery, which he called his ‘Three Laws of Motion’. These laws explain how objects move. Isaac’s laws are still used today for sending rockets into space.

Thanks to his discoveries, Isaac became rich and famous. However, he had a bad temper and often argued with other scientists and said they stole his discoveries. Sir Isaac Newton died in 1727, at the age of 85. He was buried along with English kings and queens at Westminster Abbey in London. He was one of the greatest scientists and mathematicians in the world.