A British mathematician and physicist who lived from 1643 - 1727. Newton made major advances in the studies of optics, mathematics, astronomy, and physics, most of which were published in his two major works, Opticks and Principia. Among other innovations, he constructed the first reflecting telescope (now known as a Newtonian style telescope), invented integral calculus, and postulated a Universal Law of Gravity. See also: Newtonian focus

Newton was not just a mathematician and scientist, but was also important as a philosopher; Blake charged him with narrow-minded mechanistic materialism.

English mathematician/astronomer/physicist who first formulated a Law of Universal Gravitation. He also made important contributions to optics and invented the Newtonian reflecting telescope.

Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was an English mathematician and physicist who invented calculus (simultaneously, but independently of Leibniz), formulated the laws of gravitation, investigated the nature of light (he discovered that sunlight is made of light of different colors), and the laws of motion: An object in uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it (the Law of Inertia). A force causes a change in the velocity (acceleration) of an object (= ma). For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Newton also improved the design of the refracting telescope (using an objective mirror, instead of a lens), and it is now called a Newtonian telescope.

English scientist during the 17th century; author of Principia; drew the various astronomical and physical observations and wider theories together in a neat framework of natural laws; established principles of motion; defined forces of gravity. (p. 530)