1642–1727

Isaac Newton

Physics · Mathematics · Natural philosophy

Isaac Newton recast motion and gravitation as universal laws, showing how mathematical models can link events on earth to the movement of the heavens.

Newton's work asks students to consider what makes a scientific explanation persuasive: observation, experiment, calculation, or a law that unifies many cases.

He pairs naturally with Archimedes and Einstein in a discussion of how accounts of space, motion, and force change over time.