Who Was Isaac Newton?

Lexile: 700 | Grade: 4

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Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists in history. He lived in England more than 300 years ago. Even as a child, he was curious about how the world worked. He liked to build things and ask questions that others didn’t think to ask.

One famous story about Newton is that he saw an apple fall from a tree and began wondering why it fell down instead of up. This question led him to think deeply about gravity—the force that pulls things toward the ground. He later explained that gravity is what keeps the planets moving around the sun, and also what makes apples fall from trees.

Newton didn’t just study gravity. He also made big discoveries in light, motion, and math. He showed that white light is made of many colors by shining it through a glass prism. He wrote important laws about how objects move, which are still taught in science classes today.

Even though Newton was a genius, he worked hard and asked a lot of questions. He once said, 'If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.' That meant he learned from the scientists who came before him—and helped others learn after him.

Today, people still remember Isaac Newton for changing the way we understand the world. He showed that asking simple questions—like why an apple falls—can lead to big answers.