
Navigating the Cosmos: The Evolution and Impact of Newtonian Mechanics
- 1 Hangzhou Foreign Language School
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Abstract
Mechanics is one of the most fundamental subfields of physics. Founded primarily by Isaac Newton, mechanics has strong relations with astronomy, one of the oldest sciences. It has astronomical origins and exhibits significant applications in astronomical problems. A historical perspective is necessary to grasp the big picture of physics, so this paper traces back to the very beginning of classical mechanics to discover its development through the literature review method. Starting from Kepler’s planetary motion laws and Newton’s theories, then moving to two-body and three-body problems, this essay demonstrates the delicacy of classical mechanics and how it effectively solves different issues. Also, after centuries of development, the implications of Newtonian mechanics have been greatly expanded upon, serving as the foundation for numerous subsequent theories. In the end, this essay provides an outlook for other theories that either derive from or relate to Newtonian mechanics, like chaos theory and analytical mechanics. The paper finds that Newtonian mechanics is essential because it not only provided solutions to many of the modern astronomical difficulties but also encouraged the emergence of other important ideas
Keywords
Classical Mechanics, Kepler’s Laws, Two-body Problem, Celestial Motion, Newtonian mechanics
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Cite this article
Ye,X. (2025). Navigating the Cosmos: The Evolution and Impact of Newtonian Mechanics. Theoretical and Natural Science,87,26-35.
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