issac newton

Isaac Newton Quiz: Test Yourself on Isaac Newton

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Common Topics: know, well, albert, great, heavy

One of the great heavy weights of history. How much do you really know about him? Let’s find out!

“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.” – Isaac Newton

1. According to the Julian calendar Newton was born on

 
 
 
 

2. What year was “Principia” published?

 
 
 
 

3. Along with Newton, what other scientist claimed to invent Calculus?

 
 
 
 

4. As a child Newton disliked

 
 
 
 

5. How many years was Newton the president of the Royal Society?

 
 
 
 

6. At what age did Newton sit for his first portrait?

 
 
 
 

7. Under whose reign was Newton honored with a knighthood?

 
 
 
 

8. Although born an Angelican Christian, what sect did he start following in his 30s?

 
 
 
 

9. At age 17 Newton almost dropped out of school to become a

 
 
 
 

10. The first page of Newton’s Principia would have included the roman numerals MDCLXXXVII. What year is that?

 
 
 
 

11. What was his last published work within his lifetime?

 
 
 
 

12. What did he present to the Royal Society in 1672

 
 
 
 

Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know Albert Einstein?

44 replies
  1. epenguin says:

    Some have not noticed this quiz before. I got 8 out of 12, considered competent. Not all that competent really considering I once read right through the biography Never at Rest.But it was a good time ago and I’m not that retentive.
    Some of my answers were from knowledge, some were from a sort of probability and reason-guided guess.The Queen who bestowed his knighthood had to be Mary or Anne, maybe if I’d thought a bit harder I would have got who’ve one right.Was surprised at his age at first portrait as he is looking in full form there, but there is the effect of the wig plus no doubt painterly flattery.

  2. Hornbein says:

    “Greg Bernhardt submitted a new PF Insights post

    [URL=’https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/the-issac-newton-quiz/’]The Isaac Newton Quiz[/URL]

    [IMG]https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/newton-80×80.png[/IMG]

    [URL=’https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/the-issac-newton-quiz/’]Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.[/URL]”

    Six, a few lucky guesses. I’ve read his biography, but not recently.

  3. Silicon Waffle says:

    “5 too. Just passed. Not bad for blind guessing! Seriously, I had no idea on the vast majority of these questions.”
    People with more correct answers clearly have a larger memory storage. 5 is an average number. I’ve tried to reach 7 but always failed. I am amazed to see those who can reach over 10, it’s fantastic. ?:)

  4. WWGD says:

    “Maybe you’d like to write it? :)”

    Sure, it may take me some time, though, I know relatively little about him (blushing of embarrassment). And I know nothing of the technical aspects of uploading and administering the quiz.

  5. WWGD says:

    8/12, I am competent.

    @ Greg: Given my name : WWGD: What Would Gauss do? , please give me plenty of time to prepare for any quiz you may prepare on Gauss. I guess my 8/12 score prevents me from using WWND as a name.

  6. aleazk says:

    8/12, no guesses. My awesome Newton knowledge comes from…

    …reading the wikipedia article some weeks ago when I was looking for some specific detail about his life. :woot:

  7. William White says:

    “Of course, there is a giveaway answer in there”

    there is two actually , if you read the Roman Numerals correctly, you know the answer to that question and an earlier one.

  8. SteamKing says:

    “Greg Bernhardt submitted a new PF Insights post

    [URL=’https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/the-issac-newton-quiz/’]The Issac Newton Quiz[/URL]

    [IMG]https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/newton-80×80.png[/IMG]

    [URL=’https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/the-issac-newton-quiz/’]Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.[/URL]”
    At least spell Newton’s first name correctly. It’s I-S-A-A-C.

  9. BvU says:

    Very nice. Only 5/12 and I really liked old Isaacs performance in "Dark Matter" by Philip Kerr and in the Baroque trilogy by Neal Stephenson.Aren't questions 2 and 10 a cheap way to score two points (or at least to score an extra point — If you pay attention, as I did not) ?

  10. epenguin says:

    A more familiar name than 'Arianism' is 'Unitarianism'. Early Arians dido exist in England in Newton's time,: "The word Unitarian had been circulating in private letters in England, in reference to imported copies of such publications as the Library of the Polish Brethren who are called Unitarians (1665). Henry Hedworth was the first to use the word "Unitarian" in print in English (1673)" – Wikipeida.  The real history as a Church and movement is rather later: Joseph Preistley was a famous adherent.Given his character I'd guess Newton is more likely to have arrived at the doctrine through his own reasonings, but whether he had any influential ocontact with anyone of that persuasion I'll se what the biog. "Never at Reste" say,s when I am near it in a week or two.

  11. epenguin says:

    9/12 and there was a reason. I thought. 48 was too old for the portrait that I remembered. Given the shortness of life expectancy back then I thought Queen Anne was leaving it late for a knighthood. The last one was sheer ignorance, I do not know what Arithmetica Universalis is, I must have read of it but have no memory of it.

  12. OldEngr63 says:

    There is a bit of a problem with Question 8. It reads —8. Although born an Angelican Christian, what sect did he start following in his 30s?MethodistLutheranArianismCalvinistThe three "wrong answers," (Methodist, Lutheran, and Calvinist) are all organized, recognized branches of Christianity. There is no organized religion called Arianism.The first ecumenical council of the Christian Church was called by Constantine in 325 AD to settle the issue of the relation between Jesus Christ and God the Father. One churchman, Arius, took the position that Christ was the creation of the Father and thus had a beginning. Another churchman, Athanasius, took the position that Christ and the Father were essentially one, both existing together from before the beginning of time. The final product of the council was the doctrine of the Trinity, the idea that God exists in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, all equal and all from co-existant before eternity. This was expressed in the Nicene Creed and also in the Athanasian Creed.The council condemned the position of Arias, now known as the Arian Heresy, which denies the doctrine of the Trinity. Newton, after much study, was unable to accept the doctrine of the Trinity, so by default, he accepted the Arian Heresy. He did not walk down the street and join an Arian Church, there was no such and never has been. Through the ages there have been individual Arians, but never any organized branch of the church called Arianism.

  13. PAllen says:

    I obviously know few details about Newton. Did well on all the others (Einstein, Feynman, LHC) but only 4/12 on this and most were guesses, mostly wrong. Of course, there is a giveaway answer in there … (but that one I knew anyway).

  14. Amrator says:

    I totally bombed this one. I got 8/12 on the Feynman quiz, 10/12 on the Einstein quiz, and a 4/10 on this one. Huh, looks like I need to start reading more about Newton.

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