Newton's revolutionary contributions explained the physics of a large part of nature in mathematical terms, and they suggested that science may provide explanations for other phenomena as well.

Newton began with the laws of motion he observed in the physical world, then used these laws to convert physics from a mere science of explanation into a general mathematical system with rules and laws. He took known facts and formed mathematical theories to explain them. He used his mathematical theories to predict the behavior of objects in different circumstances, and then compared his predictions with what he observed in experiments.

Isaac was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, in England on December 25, 1642 and died at Kensington, London on March 27, 1727. Isaac did not have a very happy childhood as his father died a few months before he was born. His mother later remarried someone who didn't really like him, so young Isaac went to live on a family farm with his grandmother. He lived in Cambridge from 1661 until 1696; in 1665 he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Cambridge. When an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1665 temporarily shut down the University of Cambridge, Newton returned to Woolsthorpe, his home town, where he remained for nearly two years. This time was an intellectually rich one for Newton. During this period, he did much scientific work in the subjects he would spend his life exploring, motion, optics, and mathematics. His three laws of motion became the foundation of modern dynamics and from that he discovered the law of universal gravitation.