Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (30) (For Kids series)

Isaac Newton was as strange as he was intelligent. In a few short years, he made astounding discoveries in physics, astronomy, optics, and mathematics— yet never told a soul. Though isolated, snobbish, and jealous, he almost single-handedly changed the course of scientific advancement and ushered in the Enlightenment. Newton invented the refracting telescope, explained the motion of planets and comets, discovered the multicolored nature of light, and created an entirely new field of mathematical understanding: calculus. The world might have been a very different place had Netwon’s theories and observations not been coaxed out of him by his colleagues. Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids paints a rich portrait of this brilliant and complex man, including 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Newton developed and the times in which he lived. Readers will build a simple waterwheel, create a 17thcentury plague mask, track the phases of the moon, and test Newton’s Three Laws of Motion using coins, a skateboard, and a model boat they construct themselves. The text includes a time line, online resources, and reading list for further study. And through it all, readers will learn how the son of a Woolsthorpe sheep farmer grew to become the most influential physicist in history. Title Page ......Page 2 Copyright Page ......Page 3 Contents......Page 5 Time Line ......Page 7 Preface: The Brill iant and Bizarre Isaac Newton ......Page 10 1. A Boy Like No Other......Page 14 Make a Waste Book......Page 18 Build a Waterwheel......Page 21 Make Your Own Ink, and Write with It 10......Page 23 2. Study at Cambridge ......Page 30 Phases of the Moon ......Page 34 Watch a Pendulum Swing ......Page 39 3. Newton the Misfit......Page 42 Water Clock or Candle Clock? ......Page 45 Create Optical Illusions ......Page 47 Locate Your Latitude ......Page 49 4. Asking Questions ......Page 52 Make a Plague Mask ......Page 59 5. The Light Shines on Isaac Newton ......Page 62 Make a Prism ......Page 66 Newton’s Rings ......Page 73 Shine Your Light on the Inverse Square Law ......Page 75 6. The Secret Years ......Page 78 Translate an Alchemist’s Poem ......Page 82 A Crystal Garden ......Page 85 7. Science ’s Most Imp ortant Book ......Page 92 Newton’s First Law ......Page 96 Newton’s Second Law ......Page 97 Newton’s Third Law ......Page 98 8. Looking for Change ......Page 106 Power to the Parabola ......Page 108 What Are the Odds? ......Page 112 A Straight Shot at Playing Around with Forces ......Page 113 9. A Man of Lond on Town ......Page 116 Bake an Apple Pye in a Coffin ......Page 124 Create Clues in a Portrait ......Page 125 10. The Lion’s Roar Fades Away ......Page 128 Acknowledgments ......Page 136 Resources ......Page 138 Index ......Page 141 Isaac Newton was as strange as he was intelligent. In a few short years, he made astounding discoveries in physics, astronomy, optics, and mathematics— yet never told a soul. Though isolated, snobbish, and jealous, he almost single-handedly changed the course of scientific advancement and ushered in the Enlightenment. Newton invented the refracting telescope, explained the motion of planets and comets, discovered the multicolored nature of light, and created an entirely new field of mathematical understanding: calculus. The world might have been a very different place had Netwon’s theories and observations not been coaxed out of him by his colleagues. Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids paints a rich portrait of this brilliant and complex man, including 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Newton developed and the times in which he lived. Readers will build a simple waterwheel, create a 17thcentury plague mask, track the phases of the moon, and test Newton’s Three Laws of Motion using coins, a skateboard, and a model boat they construct themselves. The text includes a time line, online resources, and reading list for further study. And through it all, readers will learn how the son of a Woolsthorpe sheep farmer grew to become the most influential physicist in history. Featuring 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Isaac Newton developed, this illuminating guide paints a rich portrait of the brilliant and complex man and provides young readers with a hands-on understanding of astronomy, physics, and mathematics. The activity-packed resource allows children to experiment with swinging pendulums, build a simple waterwheel, create a 17th-century plague mask, track the phases of the moon, bake an “apple pye in a coffin,” and test Newton’s three laws of motion using coins, a skateboard, and a model boat they construct themselves. A time line, excerpts from Newton's own writings, online resources, and a reading list for further exploration ensure that kids will gravitate to this unique activity book. The story of Isaac Newton (1642-1727). Features hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts developed by Isaac Newton