Topics:

  • Kepler’s Laws
  • Newton’s Laws

Reference: OSC3 3.4

Detailed notes

Further reading:

Aristarchus 310-230 BC, Greek astronomer and mathematician who proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system.

Appolonius 240-190 BC, Greek mathematician who wrote 8 volumes on conic sections, and provided the geometric definitions for ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola.

Pappus 290-350 AD, whose works include the first recorded references to the focus and directrix.

Nicolaus Copernicus 1473-1543, Polish mathematician and astronomer who also proposed a heliocentric model.

Tycho Brahe 1546-1601 did not believe in the heliocentric model, but his observations were used by Kepler.

Johannes Kepler 1571-1630, German mathematician and astronomer who proposed that planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun.

Isaac Newton 1642-1726, English mathematician who formulated fundamental ideas about vectors, calculus, equations of motion, and gravity.

notes (pdf)