Question

10.3.7 In your own words, narrate the story of Newton's discovery of gravity.​

Answer 1

Certainly! Sir Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity is a famous story in the history of science. According to the story, Newton was sitting under an apple tree one day, contemplating the forces of nature. As he observed the apples falling from the tree to the ground, he began to wonder why they fell straight down and not in any other direction.

This curiosity led him to formulate his theory of universal gravitation. He realized that the same force that made the apple fall to the ground was responsible for keeping the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the planets in their orbits around the Sun. This groundbreaking insight led to the development of his law of universal gravitation, which states that every mass attracts every other mass in the universe with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Newton's discovery of gravity revolutionized our understanding of the natural world and laid the foundation for modern physics and astronomy. It remains one of the most significant and enduring scientific discoveries in history.

Answer 2

Once upon a time, in the 17th century, there lived a brilliant mind named Isaac Newton. Legend has it that one day, as he lounged beneath an apple tree, contemplating the mysteries of the universe, fate intervened. An unsuspecting apple, perhaps tired of hanging around, took a leap of faith and descended from its branch.

As the apple plummeted towards the Earth, Newton's keen observations kicked in. He wondered why the apple didn't just hover in the air but instead chose the path of descent. This simple moment sparked a profound revelation in Newton's mind—a revelation that would change the way we perceive the world.

In his own words, Newton described how this event inspired him to formulate the laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. The apple's fall made him ponder: if the Earth could pull the apple downward, could it be that there was a force acting on the moon, keeping it in orbit around our planet?

This line of thinking led Newton to develop the idea that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. This revolutionary concept became the law of universal gravitation, a cornerstone of physics.

And so, under that fateful apple tree, gravity revealed itself to Newton, unraveling the cosmic dance that governs the motions of celestial bodies and everyday objects alike. The story of the falling apple is not just a tale of physics; it's a testament to the power of curiosity and observation, reminding us that even the most profound discoveries can stem from a seemingly ordinary moment of reflection.