Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy Reading Answers

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Solution for Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy

Find the Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy reading answers that are presented in the below table. Compare and check your answers to correct the mistakes.

Answer Table

1. b. Is a combination of colours

2. d. Alchemy

3. c. A leisure activity

Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy IELTS Reading Practice Test - Exam Review

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Passage

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Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy

Sir Isaac Newton is most famous for the quantification of gravitational attraction, discovering that white light is actually a mixture of immutable spectral colours and the formulation of calculus. However, it is less well documented that Newton spent 30 years engaged in the study of the mysterious art of alchemy, or as it was more commonly known then, chemistry.

Only a tiny fraction of Newton’s work on alchemy has been published, but he wrote around a million words on the subject, including laboratory notes, indexes of alchemical substances and transcripts from other sources. On his death in 1727, Newton had over 100 manuscripts filled with alchemical material, sold by auctioneers Sotheby as part of a larger collection in 1936. This side of Newton was often an embarrassment to his admirers. His first biographer, John Conduitt, like many commentators who followed, played down the role of alchemy (and other pursuits) in Newton’s work, stating, ‘When he was tired with his severer studies his only relief and amusement was going to some other as History and Chronology or Divinity and Chymistry’.

Just how important the study of alchemy was to Newton only began to be recognised in 1947, when John Maynard Keynes, who bought much of the work from Sotheby, declared in his essay, ‘Newton, the Man’ ;Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians’.

Questions 1 – 3

Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.

1. Newton realised that white light
   1. Is a result of gravitational forces.
   2. Is a combination of colours.
   3. Can be defined with formulas.
   4. Is less documented.   
2. It is largely unknown that Newton was interested in the study of  
   1. Gravity.
   2. Light.
   3. Calculus
   4. Alchemy.  
3. John Conduitt considered Newton’s interest in alchemy as  
   1. An embarrassment
   2. A tiring activity.
   3. A leisure activity.
   4. Divinity. 

Answers for Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy With Explanations

Check out the Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy Reading Answers with explanations that are provided below. Refer to the explanation of each answers to correct your mistakes.

(Note: The text in italics mentions the location and referring lines written in the reading passage.)

1. b. Is a combination of colours

Explanation: Sir Isaac Newton is most famous for the quantification of gravitational attraction, discovering that white light is actually a mixture of immutable spectral colours…

Quantification of gravitational attraction and formulation of calculus were other achievements of Newton and are not related to light. So A and C are not the correct answers. D is incorrect because according to the passage, Newton is famous for his work on light. In fact, his interest in Alchemy is less documented.

2. d. Alchemy

Explanation:  However, it is less well documented that Newton spent 30 years engaged in the study of the mysterious art of alchemy,…

Less well documented implies not much known. According to the passage, Newton is famous for his work in the other three fields. So A, B and C are not the correct answers.

3. c. A leisure activity

Explanation: His first biographer, John Conduitt … played down the role of alchemy (and other pursuits) in Newton’s work, stating, ‘When he was tired with his severer studies,  his only relief and amusement was going to some other as History and Chronology or Divinity and Chymistry’.

A ( embarrassment) was the reaction of Newton’s admirers towards his interest in alchemy and not of John Conduitt. Also, John Conduitt states that alchemy was practised by Newton for relief and amusement when he was tired of serious studies. So B is wrong, and D (divinity) is quoted in the text as another pastime of Newton. Hence, wrong.

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