Newton's 'Principia' Proposition 38, Theory 29 from Newton's 'Principia MathematicaÕ, 1687

Newton's 'Principia' Proposition 38, Theory 29 from Newton's 'Principia MathematicaÕ, 1687. Diagram on page 333 from the first edition of Newton's 'Principia Mathematica' (1687). This proposition states that 'If a cylinder moves uniformly forward in a compressed, infinite, and nonelastic fluid in the direction of its own length, its resistance arising from the magnitude of its traverse section is to the force by which its whole motion can be either destroyed or generated, while it is describing four times its length, very nearly as the density of the medium is to the density of the cylinder.'Ê The discoveries of English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton (1642-1727) were prolific and hugely influential on science and thought. His work included the three laws of motion, the theory of gravitation, the law of cooling, the binomial theorem and the calculus. ©SSPL/Science Museum