The Enlightenment: Chapter 1: Isaac Newton

What was the Enlightenment, and why did it have that name?

-time in the 1600's ans 1700's when people began to question old ideas and search for knowledge -Enlightenment refers to the light of knowledge that replaces the old ideas of darkness of superstition and ignorance

According to the story, how did Isaac Newton first come to think about the concept of gravity?

An apple fell from tree branches above him and hit him on the head.

How was society in Europe changing around the time of the Enlightenment?

Before society had distinct social classes: kings and lords at the top, everyone else at the bottom. During the Enlightenment a new social class started to grow: the middle class.

What was the main idea in Newton's Principia?

Certain basic laws of nature were true for the whole physical world. These laws could be discovered through observation and reason.

What conclusion did Isaac Newton come to about the force of gravity?

He determined that the law of gravity applies not only to Earth, but also to other bodies in the universe.

How did Isaac Newton's curiosity sometimes cause him problems?

His curiosity led him to do some foolish things; staring at an eclipse with out eye protections (he became temporarily blinded).