Isaac Newton introduced his theory of gravitation in Book III of the Principia. To demonstrate the power of his new theory, Newton for the first time calculated the mass, surface gravity, and density of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Earth (relative to the Sun). In the final printing of the Principia, an error appears in Newton’s calculation of the mass of the Earth and its origin is traced. In the course of reconstructing the source of the error, several other minor inconsistencies are resolved.
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© 1991 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1991
American Association of Physics Teachers
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