Authors:
- Concentrates strongly on the historical development of the mathematics and science of orbital motion
- Uses concrete, interesting problems and case studies to teach and illustrate
- Explores the surprisingly basic mathematics behind gravity, the most fundamental force that governs the movements of satellites, planets, and the stars
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics (ULNP)
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Table of contents (19 chapters)
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Front Matter
About this book
Author Douglas W. MacDougal uses actual problems from the history of astronomy, as well as original examples, to deepen understanding of how discoveries were made and what they mean. “Newton’s Gravity” concentrates strongly on the development of the science of orbital motion, beginning with Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, each of whom is prominently represented. Quotes and problems from Galileo’s Dialogs Concerning Two New Sciences and particularly Newton’s Principia help the reader get inside the mind of those thinkers and see the problems as they saw them, and experience their concise and typically eloquent writing.
This book enables students and curious minds to explore the mysteries of celestial motion without having to know advanced mathematics. It will whet the reader’s curiosity to explore further and provide him or her the tools (mathematical or physical) to do so.
Reviews
From the reviews:
“It would suit a class in astronomy for non-scientists who know the basic rules of algebra and arithmetic and who are prepared for some quantitative work without the use of advanced mathematics; or an adult evening-education class; or amateur astronomers … who have always wanted to know how to do astronomical calculations. … I give it high marks, and anyone working through it thoroughly will acquire a pretty good knowledge of the subject, so go for it.” (Jeremy B. Tatum, The Observatory, Vol. 133 (1236), October, 2013)
Authors and Affiliations
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Portland, USA
Douglas W. MacDougal
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Newton's Gravity
Book Subtitle: An Introductory Guide to the Mechanics of the Universe
Authors: Douglas W. MacDougal
Series Title: Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5444-1
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4614-5443-4Published: 16 December 2012
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4614-5444-1Published: 16 December 2012
Series ISSN: 2192-4791
Series E-ISSN: 2192-4805
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIX, 433
Number of Illustrations: 9 b/w illustrations, 69 illustrations in colour
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Planetology, Mathematical Applications in the Physical Sciences