The wonders of gravity: A personal Narrative

For this piece, I'd like any feedback, though anything constructive would be quite helpful and appreciated. Though I have already completed and presented my project on Sir Isaac Newton, I would still appreciate feedback concerning areas on which I could improve. Though this narrative, I attempted to explain Sir Isaac Newton's discoveries on the subject of gravity, in his voice. He was extremely dedicated to science and mathematics, and contributed quite a bit of effort towards discovering the laws of gravity. I hope this piece is informative, and portrays a voice that hopefully resembles his. Again, please comment on anything that could be improved upon, or that does not come across as clear. Thank you for taking the time to read this piece.

The Wonders of Gravity

When I gazed at the garden, and saw the Apple descend Earthward, I wondered that the planets, or moon itself, might be affected by the same amount of force by gravity as the Apple.

Later, I became convinced of what is known as the “inverse square law,” describing that the greater the distance from Earth, the weaker the force of gravity will be. I found that decrease to be equivalent to the square of the inverse of the distance away from Earth an object is. (Christianson, 37-40)

Using this theory, I deduced that a planet orbits the sun in an oblong manner, forming what is known as an “ellipse.” When later asked about this pattern by Edmund Halley, I found that I had misplaced the proof of my claim; the calculations I had worked out to find the shape of an orbit were absent. In re-calculating the equations, I altered the method used from the previous computation. This process led to the composition of a paper describing movement. (Christianson, 77-91)

From that paper, I wrote a book that translates in English as the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, originally titled Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematics. It is commonly known as the Principia. All of the three volumes focus around movement, including that in liquids, and that that is not restrained or held back by certain forces. I completed the initial installment in 1686, and had it published a year later. One and one half years were spent composing it.

Throughout my life, there have been times when I’ve needed to rely upon others to tell or remind me to sleep or eat well; such has been my eagerness to discover the ways of Earth. The Principia is considered one of my greater achievements, and, written in Latin, was said to be difficult to comprehend by most. A fair part of my existence has been dedicated to this, the theory of gravity and motion. (Christianson, 27-40, 77-91)