The Discovery of Gravity
Science: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 5.2.6
The Discovery of Gravity
The force of gravity was discovered in the 17th century by Isaac Newton.
Isaac Newton
- Isaac Newton was a famous British scientist and mathematician.
- Isaac Newton was the first person to come up with the idea of gravity.
The Discovery of Gravity
- In the 17th century, Isaac Newton watched an apple fall from a tree.
- He wondered why the apple fell straight down.
- He determined that a force must be causing the apple to fall straight down.
Gravitas
- He called this force gravity after ‘gravitas’.
- Gravitas is the Latin word for weight.
- Isaac Newton went on to develop his theory of gravitation.
Test yourself on The Discovery of Gravity
Who was the first person to come up with the idea of gravity?
What is correct about Isaac Newton?
Isaac Newton used which Latin word to come up with the name 'gravity'?