Multiple Choice Questions

According to the text, Isaac Newton’s groundbreaking scientific theories were a result of _________.

• his keen observations

• being hit by an apple

• reading many books

• his experience with raising cattle

Why were people impressed with Isaac Newton when he was young?

• Newton was accomplished at looking after livestock.

• Newton was always happy to be doing things outdoors.

• Newton was skilled at making working models of machines.

• Newton was an excellent manager for his mother’s property.

Philosophers during the Scientific Revolution came up with a new theory that _______.

• the universe has Earth at the very center

• the universe was made up of tiny particles always in motion

• the universe was made up of basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water

• the universe could be understood in terms of forces, such as gravity

What did Newton do while he was quarantined during an outbreak of the bubonic plague?

• learned theories about Halley’s comet

• studied the theories of René Descartes

• mastered the theories of Aristotle

• developed theories about light

What led members of the Royal Society to ask Newton to become a member?

• They read his paper on light and color

• They attended his lectures on light and optics.

• They were impressed by his new telescope design.

• They heard he had discovered how rainbows were made.

Why did Newton withdraw from public life in 1678?

• He was asked to become a member of Royal Society of London.

• He was made head of Cambridge University’s mathematics department.

• Critical reviews from many scholars upset Newton, and he suffered a nervous breakdown.

• Robert Hooke stole many of Newton’s ideas and passed them off as his own.

Robert Hooke, Edmond Halley, and Newton all worked on understanding ______

• flowing water

• elliptical orbits

• chemical reactions

• reflecting telescopes

According to Newton’s first law, if a moving soccer ball slows to a stop, you know that .

• the ball lost its mass

• the ball lost its inertia

• inertia acted on the ball

• a force acted on the ball

According to Newton’s third law, how can you change the speed of a skateboard?

• You can change the mass of the shoe you use to push against the ground.

• You can change the direction of the force you use to push against the ground.

• You can change the amount of force you use to push backward against the ground.

• You can change the material of the shoe you use to push backward against the ground.

Why did Newton come to be one of the most respected scientists in history?

• He developed scientific theories and backed them up with math.

• He won over all the scientists who had resisted his ideas.

• He made influential friends who awarded him many honors.

• He was a celebrity in addition to being a scientist.