The motion of bodies
Date
10 December 1684
Creator
Unknown, Artist
After
Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p229
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 367mm
width (page): 232mm
width (page): 232mm
Subject
Description
Diagrams in a copy of one of Newton's earliest drafts (now presumed lost) 'on motion' (1684), which became Book 1 of Principia mathematica philosophiae naturalis (1687).
Diagram for scholium to problem 4: to assign areas aSP, PSb, bSd proportional to the times, which is difficult.
Diagram for problem 5: Supposing that the centripetal force be reciprocally proportional to the square of the distance from the centre, to define the distances which a body falling straight down describes in given times. See Principia (1687), section 7, proposition 32, problem 24.
Diagram for scholium to problem 4: to assign areas aSP, PSb, bSd proportional to the times, which is difficult.
Diagram for problem 5: Supposing that the centripetal force be reciprocally proportional to the square of the distance from the centre, to define the distances which a body falling straight down describes in given times. See Principia (1687), section 7, proposition 32, problem 24.
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 10 December 1684, 'Mr. Halley gave an account, that he had lately seen Mr. Newton at Cambridge, who had shewed him a curious treatise, De Motu; which upon Mr. Halley's desire, was, he said, promised to be sent to the Society to be entered upon their register. Mr. Halley was desired to put Mr. Newton in mind of his promise for the securing his invention to himself till such time as he could be at leisure to publish it. Mr. Paget was desired to join with Mr. Halley' (Birch 4:347).
This is a copy of the tract sent via Edward Paget to Halley, which contained Newton's demonstration that an elliptical orbit entails an inverse-square force to one focus. From these insights, Newton went on to develop his Principia mathematica philosophiae naturalis. The original draft is presumed lost.
This is a copy of the tract sent via Edward Paget to Halley, which contained Newton's demonstration that an elliptical orbit entails an inverse-square force to one focus. From these insights, Newton went on to develop his Principia mathematica philosophiae naturalis. The original draft is presumed lost.
Related fellows
Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
Edmond Halley (1656 - 1742, British) , Astronomer
Edmond Halley (1656 - 1742, British) , Astronomer
Associated place