“Weight, force and casual impulse, together with resistance, are the four external powers in which all the visible actions of mortals have their being and their end.”
- April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519
- Italian
- A versatile man (painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, scientist, etc.)
- He created many works of art, including the paintings “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” and also left behind many pioneering ideas in science and engineering, such as “blueprints for airplanes” and “anatomical studies.”
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Quote
“Weight, force and casual impulse, together with resistance, are the four external powers in which all the visible actions of mortals have their being and their end.”
Explanation
In this quote, Leonardo da Vinci outlines four fundamental external forces—weight, force, casual impulse, and resistance—which he believes govern all physical actions in the world. According to Da Vinci, these four forces are responsible for both the initiation and the end of all visible movement or actions in the physical world. Weight represents the force of gravity acting on objects, pulling them downward. Force refers to the energy applied to move or change the state of an object. Casual impulse suggests a spontaneous or external force that causes an object to move. Resistance is the opposing force that acts against motion, such as friction or air resistance. Together, these forces shape the behavior of all physical phenomena, from the movement of objects to the actions of living beings.
Historically, this idea reflects Da Vinci’s scientific approach to understanding the mechanics of the natural world. During the Renaissance, the study of physics and mechanics was emerging, and Da Vinci, as a polymath, was at the forefront of examining how forces interact in the world. His observations about these four external powers laid the groundwork for later developments in mechanical engineering and classical physics, influencing thinkers like Isaac Newton and Galileo.
In the modern context, this quote is relevant to our understanding of motion and forces in everything from engineering to sports. For example, in vehicle design, engineers must account for these forces to create efficient and functional machines. In athletics, an athlete must understand how forces like resistance (e.g., air resistance in cycling) and impulse (e.g., the force exerted in a sprint) interact to optimize performance. Da Vinci’s insight reminds us of the fundamental role that these external forces play in shaping the world around us, and how our understanding of them continues to influence technology, science, and innovation today.
