Abstract
Isaac Newton's contributions laid the foundation for modern mechanics, science, and engineering. This paper explores the historical context in which Newton developed his theories, particularly his three laws of motion, and highlights how they reshaped the scientific understanding of nature and progress. In this paper. we first introduce Newton’s key contemporaries during that era of ground-breaking scientific advances, whose work greatly influenced his discoveries. Then, we focus on the contributions of Newton’s laws of motion to modern mechanics, especially in fields that have received less attention in previous studies. For example, in continuum mechanics, Newton’s laws describe the equilibrium state, dynamic behavior and interactions of particles/systems under external forces. Newton’s contribution also extends to atomistic mechanics. In molecular dynamics simulations, Newton’s second law governs the motion of atoms, which allows us to examine the system behavior under load at the atomistic scale. Furthermore, the paper examines the evolution of classical mechanics into more general formulations, namely Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, which are central to modern physics. These energy-based approaches provide a more flexible framework to analyze complex systems and serve as a bridge to advanced topics such as statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Finally, we examine the limitations of Newtonian mechanics in problems involving relativistic effects, quantum phenomena, and non-inertial reference frames. We briefly introduce the corresponding theories that extend Newton’s framework to address these problems.
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We are grateful for the financial support provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada under Discovery Grant # RGPIN-2024-03875.
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T.W. and N.E.-M. wrote the main manuscript text; T.W. and S.A.M. reviewed the manuscript.
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Professor Shaker A. Meguid, Editor-in-Chief, was not involved in the peer-review process of this manuscript. The authors declare no competing interests.
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Wu, T., Espinosa-Merlano, N. & A. Meguid, S. Newton’s legacy: role in shaping modern civilization. Int J Mech Mater Des 22, 42 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10999-025-09818-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10999-025-09818-9