The Principia: The Authoritative Translation: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

THE PRINCIPIA

The publication of this work has been made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency. The publisher also gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution to this book provided by the General Endowment Fund of the Associates of the University of California Press.

Portrait of Isaac Newton at about the age of sixty, a drawing presented by Newton to David Gregory. For details see the following page.

Portrait of Isaac Newton at about the age of sixty, presented by Newton to David Gregory (1661–1708). This small oval drawing (roughly 3¾ in. from top to bottom and 3¼ in. from left to right) is closely related to the large oval portrait in oils made by Kneller in 1702, which is considered to be the second authentic portrait made of Newton. The kinship between this drawing and the oil painting can be seen in the pose, the expression, and such unmistakable details as the slight cast in the left eye and the button on the shirt. Newton is shown in both this drawing and the painting of 1702 in his academic robe and wearing a luxurious wig, whereas in the previous portrait by Kneller (now in the National Portrait Gallery in London), painted in 1689, two years after the publication of the Principia, Newton is similarly attired but is shown with his own shoulder-length hair.

This drawing was almost certainly made after the painting, since Kneller’s preliminary drawings for his paintings are usually larger than this one and tend to concentrate on the face rather than on the details of the attire of the subject. The fact that this drawing shows every detail of the finished oil painting is thus evidence that it was copied from the finished portrait. Since Gregory died in 1708, the drawing can readily be dated to between 1702 and 1708. In those days miniature portraits were commonly used in the way that we today would use portrait photographs. The small size of the drawing indicates that it was not a copy made in preparation for an engraved portrait but was rather made to be used by Newton as a gift.

The drawing captures Kneller’s powerful representation of Newton, showing him as a person with a forceful personality, poised to conquer new worlds in his recently gained position of power in London. This high level of artistic representation and the quality of the drawing indicate that the artist responsible for it was a person of real talent and skill.

The drawing is mounted in a frame, on the back of which there is a longhand note reading: This original drawing of Sir Isaac Newton, belonged formerly to Professor Gregory of Oxford; by him it was bequeathed to his youngest son (Sir Isaac’s godson) who was later Secretary of Sion College; & by him left by Will to the Revd. Mr. Mence, who had the Goodness to give it to Dr. Douglas; March 8th 1870.

David Gregory first made contact with Newton in the early 1690s, and although their relations got off to a bad start, Newton did recommend Gregory for the Savilian Professorship of Astronomy at Oxford, a post which he occupied until his death in 1708. As will be evident to readers of the Guide, Gregory is one of our chief sources of information concerning Newton’s intellectual activities during the 1690s and the early years of the eighteenth century, the period when Newton was engaged in revising and planning a reconstruction of his Principia. Gregory recorded many conversations with Newton in which Newton discussed his proposed revisions of the Principia and other projects and revealed some of his most intimate and fundamental thoughts about science, religion, and philosophy. So far as is known, the note on the back of the portrait is the only record that Newton stood godfather to Gregory’s youngest son.

ISAAC NEWTON

THE PRINCIPIA

Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

The Authoritative Translation

by I. Bernard Cohen and Anne Whitman

assisted by Julia Budenz

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.

University of California Press

Oakland, California

© 1999 by The Regents of the University of California

ISBN: 978-0-520-29073-0 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-0-520-29074-7 (paper)

ISBN: 978-0-520-96478-5 (ebook)

The Library of Congress has cataloged an earlier edition of this book as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642–1727.

[Principia. English]

The Principia: mathematical principles of natural philosophy / Isaac Newton; a new translation by I. Bernard Cohen and Anne Whitman assisted by Julia Budenz; preceded by a guide to Newton’s Principia by I. Bernard Cohen.

   p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-520-08816-0 (alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-520-08817-7 (alk. paper)

1. Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642–1727. Principia. 2. Mechanics—Early works to 1800. 3. Celestial mechanics—Early works to 1800. I. Cohen, I. Bernard, 1914– . II. Whitman, Anne Miller, 1937–1984. III. Title.

QA803.N413     1999

531—dc21

99-10278

CIP

Printed in the United States of America

25    24    23    22    21    20    19    18    17    16

10    9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 2002) (Permanence of Paper).

This translation is dedicated to

D. T. WHITESIDE

with respect and affection

Contents

Publisher’s Note

Preface to the 1999 Edition

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPIA

THE PRINCIPIA (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy)

Halley’s Ode to Newton

Newton’s Preface to the First Edition

Newton’s Preface to the Second Edition

Cotes’s Preface to the Second Edition

Newton’s Preface to the Third Edition

Defnitions

Axioms, or the Laws of Motion

BOOK 1: THE MOTION OF BODIES

BOOK 2: THE MOTION OF BODIES

BOOK 3: THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD

General Scholium

Notes

Notes Added in Second Printing

Contents of the Principia

Halley’s Ode to Newton

Newton’s Preface to the First Edition

Newton’s Preface to the Second Edition

Cotes’s Preface to the Second Edition

Newton’s Preface to the Third Edition

Definitions

Axioms, or the Laws of Motion

BOOK 1: THE MOTION OF BODIES

Section 1

Lemma 1

Lemma 2

Lemma 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Lemma 4

COROLLARY

Lemma 5

Lemma 6

Lemma 7

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Lemma 8

COROLLARY

Lemma 9

Lemma 10

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

Scholium

Lemma 11

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

Scholium

Section 2

Proposition 1, Theorem 1

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

Proposition 2, Theorem 2

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Scholium

Proposition 3 Theorem 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Scholium

Proposition 4, Theorem 4

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

Scholium

Proposition 5, Problem 1

Proposition 6, Theorem 5

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

Proposition 7, Problem 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 8, Problem 3

Scholium

Proposition 9, Problem 4

Lemma 12

Proposition 10, Problem 5

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Scholium

Section 3

Proposition 11, Problem 6

Proposition 12, Problem 7

Lemma 13

Lemma 14

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 13, Problem 8

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 14, Theorem 6

COROLLARY

Proposition 15, Theorem 7

COROLLARY

Proposition 16, Theorem 8

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

Proposition 17, Problem 9

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Scholium

Section 4

Lemma 15

Proposition 18, Problem 10

Proposition 19, Problem 11

Proposition 20, Problem 12

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

CASE 4

Lemma 16

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

Proposition 21, Problem 13

Scholium

Section 5

Lemma 17

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

Lemma 18

COROLLARY

Scholium

Lemma 19

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Lemma 20

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Lemma 21

Proposition 22, Problem 14

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Scholium

Proposition 23, Problem 15

CASE 1

CASE 2

Proposition 24, Problem 16

Lemma 22

Proposition 25, Problem 17

Proposition 26, Problem 18

Lemma 23

COROLLARY

Lemma 24

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Lemma 25

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 27, Problem 19

Scholium

Lemma 26

COROLLARY

Proposition 28, Problem 20

Lemma 27

COROLLARY

Proposition 29, Problem 21

Scholium

Section 6

Proposition 30, Problem 22

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Lemma 28

COROLLARY

Proposition 31, Problem 23

Scholium

Section 7

Proposition 32, Problem 24

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

Proposition 33, Theorem 9

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 34, Theorem 10

Proposition 35, Theorem 11

CASE 1

CASE 2

Proposition 36, Problem 25

Proposition 37, Problem 26

Proposition 38, Theorem 12

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 39, Problem 27

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Section 8

Proposition 40, Theorem 13

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 41, Problem 28

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 42, Problem 29

Section 9

Proposition 43, Problem 30

Proposition 44, Theorem 14

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

Proposition 45, Problem 31

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Section 10

Proposition 46, Problem 32

Proposition 47, Theorem 15

Scholium

Proposition 48, Theorem 16

Proposition 49, Theorem 17

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 50, Problem 33

COROLLARY

Proposition 51, Theorem 18

COROLLARY

Proposition 52, Problem 34

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 53, Problem 35

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 54, Problem 36

Proposition 55, Theorem 19

COROLLARY

Proposition 56, Problem 37

Section 11

Proposition 57, Theorem 20

Proposition 58, Theorem 21

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 59, Theorem 22

Proposition 60, Theorem 23

Proposition 61, Theorem 24

Proposition 62, Problem 38

Proposition 63, Problem 39

Proposition 64, Problem 40

Proposition 65, Theorem 25

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 66, Theorem 26

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

COROLLARY 10

COROLLARY 11

COROLLARY 12

COROLLARY 13

COROLLARY 14

COROLLARY 15

COROLLARY 16

COROLLARY 17

COROLLARY 18

COROLLARY 19

COROLLARY 20

COROLLARY 21

COROLLARY 22

Proposition 67, Theorem 27

Proposition 68, Theorem 28

COROLLARY

Proposition 69, Theorem 29

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Scholium

Section 12

Proposition 70, Theorem 30

Proposition 71, Theorem 31

Proposition 72, Theorem 32

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 73, Theorem 33

Scholium

Proposition 74, Theorem 34

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 75, Theorem 35

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Proposition 76, Theorem 36

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

Proposition 77, Theorem 37

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

CASE 4

CASE 5

CASE 6

Proposition 78, Theorem 38

COROLLARY

Scholium

Lemma 29

Proposition 79, Theorem 39

Proposition 80, Theorem 40

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Proposition 81, Problem 41

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3

Proposition 82, Theorem 41

Proposition 83, Problem 42

Proposition 84, Problem 43

Scholium

Section 13

Proposition 85, Theorem 42

Proposition 86, Theorem 43

Proposition 87, Theorem 44

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 88, Theorem 45

COROLLARY

Proposition 89, Theorem 46

COROLLARY

Proposition 90, Problem 44

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 91, Problem 45

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 92, Problem 46

Proposition 93, Theorem 47

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Scholium

Section 14

Proposition 94, Theorem 48

CASE 1

CASE 2

Proposition 95, Theorem 49

Proposition 96, Theorem 50

Scholium

Proposition 97, Problem 47

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 98, Problem 48

Scholium

BOOK 2: THE MOTION OF BODIES

Section 1

Proposition 1, Theorem 1

COROLLARY

Lemma 1

Proposition 2, Theorem 2

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY

Proposition 3, Problem 1

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

Proposition 4, Problem 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

Scholium

Section 2

Proposition 5, Theorem 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

Proposition 6, Theorem 4

Proposition 7, Theorem 5

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

Lemma 2

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

CASE 4

CASE 5

CASE 6

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Scholium

Proposition 8, Theorem 6

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 9, Theorem 7

CASE 1

CASE 2

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

Proposition 10, Problem 3

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3

EXAMPLE 4

Scholium

RULE 1

RULE 2

RULE 3

RULE 4

RULE 5

RULE 6

RULE 7

RULE 8

Section 3

Proposition 11, Theorem 8

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 12, Theorem 9

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Proposition 13, Theorem 10

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

COROLLARY

Scholium

Proposition 14, Theorem 11

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

COROLLARY

Scholium

Section 4

Lemma 3

Proposition 15, Theorem 12

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

Proposition 16, Theorem 13

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

Scholium

Proposition 17, Problem 4

Proposition 18, Problem 5

Section 5

Definition of a Fluid

Proposition 19, Theorem 14

CASE 1

CASE 2

CASE 3

CASE 4

CASE 5

CASE 6

CASE 7

COROLLARY

Proposition 20, Theorem 15

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

COROLLARY 8

COROLLARY 9

Proposition 21, Theorem 16

COROLLARY

Proposition 22, Theorem 17

COROLLARY

Scholium

Proposition 23, Theorem 18

Scholium

Section 6

Proposition 24, Theorem 19

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

COROLLARY 3

COROLLARY 4

COROLLARY 5

COROLLARY 6

COROLLARY 7

Proposition 25, Theorem 20

COROLLARY

Proposition 26, Theorem 21

Proposition 27, Theorem 22

COROLLARY 1

COROLLARY 2

Proposition 28, Theorem 23

Proposition 29, Problem 6