Newtonian Synthesis

7/23/2019 Newtonian Synthesis

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Logan KelleyAP PhysicsPeriod 2

Newtonian Synthesis: The Basis of Space Exploration

How is it possile for h!"ans to #ent!re into o!ter space$ How did

scientists %g!re o!t a way to rea& the arrier of the Earth's gra#itational

%eld$ They didn't (!st decide they wanted to get into o!ter space and got on

a roc&et and )ew away* Extensi#e research was done to calc!late exact

#elocities and aerodyna"ics that wo!ld need to e achie#ed to rea& fro"

the inding grasp of Earth's gra#ity* The asis of all &nowledge on space

exploration ca"e fro" a theory de#eloped y a "an na"ed Sir +saac

Newton*

E#erything the world &nows ao!t space exploration started fro" a

single apple* ,hen an apple fell on Newton's head- he proceeded to ponder

the idea of the Earth p!lling the apple down towards it- for there had to e a

reason the apple fell downward* .andy Koes- fro" the /ni#ersity of

,innipeg- stated-

0Newton %rst reali1ed that o(ects change the state of their state of

"otion if and only if they are s!(ected to external in)!ences: that is-

they tend to contin!e "o#ing in a straight line at !nifor" speed !nless

so"ething forces the" to do otherwise Koes- 34*5

Newton concl!ded that for the apple to "o#e- so"ething had to e exerting

a force on it* Th!s- he reali1ed that the Earth "!st e applying a

gra#itational force that is p!lling the o(ect towards it* This is also tr!e with

the "oon staying in orit* +t wo!ld contin!e "o#ing in a straight line if the


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Earth wasn't exerting a force that &eeps it in orit aro!nd the Earth* This

disco#ery led to people !nderstanding what &eeps !s on the Earth and why

things ha#e a tendency to fall towards the Earth: eca!se that is the o(ect

with the highest gra#itational force aro!nd !s* This disco#ery "ade it clear

why apples fall fro" trees- why people can't )oat away- and why rain falls

down*

Newton's disco#ery of gra#ity spar&ed another idea in the "inds of

scientists: ,o!ld it e possile to rea& the o!nds of gra#ity and escape the

Earth's at"osphere$ To do so- the force of the roc&et in the !pward direction

wo!ld need to e greater than the force of gra#ity p!lling it down* This sent

scientists to wor& on Newton's second law- that force is e6!al to "ass

"!ltiplied y acceleration* Then- scientists had to %g!re o!t a way to propel

the roc&et !pward* Since for e#ery action there is an e6!al and opposite

reaction- so"ething wo!ld ha#e to shoot towards the Earth for the roc&et to

propel !pward* The other prole" is that the o(ect wo!ld stay in "otion

!nless a force was acting !pon it- which the Earth's gra#ity was* 0+f the

spacecraft co"es near a large ody in space- the gra#ity of that ody will

!nalance the forces and c!r#e the path of the spacecraft-5 said 7ichael

8oats* They needed a way to oppose gra#ity and escape its o!nds* L!c&ily-

with the &nowledge of Newton's theories- physicists &new what they wo!ld

ha#e to do to "a&e space exploration a reality* Soon eno!gh- there were "en

in space- wal&ing on the "oon- and perfor"ing "any other disco#eries for

science*


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All concepts of space exploration were "ade possile eca!se of

Newtonian Synthesis* +f Newton had ne#er de#eloped the concept of gra#ity-

"an "ay ha#e ne#er ta&en step on the "oon* Larry H!nter stated-

0The idea that the sa"e si"ple physical laws apply e6!ally well in the

terrestrial and celestial real"s- called the Newtonian Synthesis- is a

"a(or intellect!al de#elop"ent of the se#enteenth cent!ry* +t

contin!es to e of #ital i"portance in conte"porary physics H!nter4*5

Newton "ay not ha#e een the one to "a&e one s"all step for "an- !t his

disco#eries led to one giant leap for "an&ind in the world of space*


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,or&s 8ited

8oats- 7* 299 ;ece"er

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Newtonian Synthesis