Skeptics – Erudits – Dogmatists
Descartes’ Major Works
Early Learned Societies & Periodicals
Newton’s Major Works
Newtonian Mechanics
Momentum = mv, where m = inertial mass of the body, v = velocity of the body Newton’s Laws of Motion: Every body persists in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, except or until that state is changed by some impressed force. The force acting on a body is […]
Newton’s Demonstration of the Area Law
In Proposition I of the Principia Newton derives Kepler’s Law of Areas on the assumption that a revolving body is subject to a centripetal force directed to a fixed point. Newton’s demonstration employs equal finite time intervals, after each of whlch the force gives a finite impulse to the body towards center S. During one […]
Newton’s Derivation of the Force of Attraction
In Proposition XI of the Principia, Newton derived, for the case of an elliptical orbit, the centripetal force from Kepler’s laws. In the following diagram the planet is at P while the sun occupies the focus at S. The small deviation of the planet’s motion from the tangent towards the focus is denoted by e, […]
Halley’s Review of Newton’s Principia
Philosophia Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Autore Is. Newton Trin. Coll. Contab. Soc. Matheseos Professore Lucasiano, & Societatis Regalis Sodali. 4to. Londini. Prostat apud plures Bibliopolas. This incomparable Author having at length been prevailed upon to appear in publick, has in this Treatise given a most notable instance of the extent of the powers of the Mind; and has […]
Requirements for Optional Research Papers
The topic of the optional research paper is left open to each student, provided the specific research area relates to the issues and chronology of the course. Selection of the topic is crucial; excessively broad topics should be avoided. As you first explore possible topics, determine the scope of bibliographic sources and other available reference […]