Newton’s bucket argument

E415500

Newton’s bucket argument is a thought experiment by Isaac Newton that uses the behavior of water in a rotating bucket to argue for the existence of absolute space.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Newton’s bucket argument canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf argument for absolute space ⓘ
argument in physics ⓘ
philosophical thought experiment ⓘ
addressesConcept absolute space ⓘ
inertial effects ⓘ
relative motion ⓘ
rotation ⓘ
coreClaim effects of rotation indicate motion relative to absolute space ⓘ
shape of water surface depends on absolute rotation, not merely relative motion to the bucket ⓘ
critiquedBy Ernst Mach ⓘ
relationalists about space ⓘ
describedInBook Principia ⓘ
describedInWork Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica ⓘ
field classical mechanics ⓘ
philosophy of physics ⓘ
hasAlternativeName bucket experiment ⓘ
rotating bucket argument ⓘ
hasAuthor Isaac Newton ⓘ
hasExampleSetup bucket initially at rest with water surface flat ⓘ
bucket spun so that water surface becomes concave ⓘ
bucket suspended by a rope ⓘ
hasKeyFeature comparison of water shape when bucket is at rest and when rotating ⓘ
distinction between relative motion and true motion ⓘ
use of centrifugal effects as evidence ⓘ
hasPhilosophicalIssue metaphysics of motion ⓘ
nature of space ⓘ
status of inertial structure ⓘ
historicalPeriod 17th century ⓘ
influenced Ernst Mach’s critique of Newtonian mechanics ⓘ
debates on substantivalism vs relationalism ⓘ
discussions of general relativity and rotation ⓘ
involvesObject bucket ⓘ
water ⓘ
involvesObservation concave water surface ⓘ
eventual co-rotation of water and bucket ⓘ
lag of water relative to bucket ⓘ
involvesProcess rotation of the bucket ⓘ
logicalStructure inference from water surface shape to existence of absolute space ⓘ
relatedConcept Mach’s principle ⓘ
linked to: Mach principle

absolute rotation ⓘ
centrifugal force ⓘ
inertial frames of reference ⓘ
usedAgainst Leibnizian relationalism about space ⓘ
purely relational theories of space ⓘ
usedToSupport Newtonian substantivalism about space ⓘ
existence of absolute space ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mach principle → influencedBy → Newton’s bucket argument ⓘ