Galileo's
historic telescopic observations and his lesser known contributions to
Newton's understanding of dynamics will be explained. Isaac Newton's
culminating work on dynamics (Newton's three laws of motion) and his
universal law of gravitation and their importance will be explained. Albert
Einstein's more modern theory concerning gravity will bring us to the present-day
understanding of this most basic interaction of nature.
Chapter Skills:
After studying this chapter you should be able to
- Explain the difference between speed and velocity
- Explain the difference between accelerated and unaccelerated motion
- State Newton's three laws of motion and apply them correctly to astronomical
situations
- Contrast Newton's concept of natural motion to that of Aristotle
- Make use of Newton's universal law of gravitation
- Briefly explain how Einstein's view of gravity differs from Newton's.