The System of the World
The System of the World is the third book of Isaac Newton's Principia, first published in 1687, in which he applies his laws of motion and universal gravitation to the cosmos. Having established his mathematical principles in the earlier books, Newton here turns to the actual structure of the heavens, explaining the orbits of the planets, the motion of the Moon, the behavior of comets, and the cause of the tides. He demonstrates that a single law of gravitation accounts for both falling bodies on Earth and the movements of celestial objects, uniting terrestrial and astronomical physics. The work is one of the most consequential texts in the history of science, providing the framework that dominated physics until Einstein. It remains a landmark of mathematical reasoning applied to the natural world.
What you might want to know about The System of the World
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Newton's account of how universal gravitation governs the motion of the planets and bodies in the heavens.
It is the third part of Newton's Principia, where he applies his laws of motion and gravitation to the solar system.
It showed that one law of gravitation governs both earthly objects and the planets, founding modern physics.
The System of the World was written by Isaac Newton, published in 1687 by Franklin Classics Trade Press.
The System of the World is 188 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The System of the World takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
The System of the World is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.