Biography
Ancient Greek physicist, mathematician and engineer Archimeda made many geometric discoveries, laid the foundations of hydrostatic and mechanics, created inventions that served as the starting point for the further development of science. Legends about Archimedee were created in his life. For several years, the scientist spent in Alexandria, where he met and moved his time with many other great scientific figures of his time.
The biography of Archimedes is known from the works of Titz, Cicero, Polybia, Libya, Vitruvia and other authors who lived later by the scientist himself. Assess the degree of reliability of this data is difficult. It is known that Archimedes was born in the Greek colony of Syracuse, located on Sicily Island. His father, presumably, became an astronomer and fidium mathematician. Plutarch also argued that the scientist was a close relative of the good and skillful ruler Syracuse Gieron II.
Probably, the Archimedes had a childhood in Syracuse, and at the young age to obtain an education went to Alexandria Egyptian. For several centuries, this city has been the cultural and scientific center of the civilized ancient world. Primary education scientist, presumably received from his father. Having lived several years in Alexandria, Archimeda returned to Syracuse and lived there until the end of his life.
Engineering
The scientific actor actively developed mechanical structures. He outlined the detailed theory of the lever and effectively used this theory in practice, although the invention itself was directly known before him. Including, on the basis of knowledge in this area, he made a number of block-lever mechanisms in the port of Syracuse. These devices simplified the rise and move heavy loads, allowing you to speed up and optimize the work of the port. And "Archimedes Screw", intended for the drawing of water, is still used in Egypt.
Of great importance are theoretical surveys of the scientist in the field of mechanics. Relying on the proof of the law of the lever, he began writing the work "On the equilibrium of flat figures". Proof is based on the axiom that equal body equal should be equal to the need. The same principle of building a book - the Archimedes beginning with the proof of its own law, and when writing a work "On swimming bodies". This book begins with the description of the well-known law of Archimedes.
Mathematics and physics
The discoveries in the field of mathematics were a real passion of the scientist. According to Plutarch, Archimedes forgot about food and care for himself, when stood on the threshold of the next invention in this area. The main direction of its mathematical research was the problems of mathematical analysis.
Even before Archimedes, formulas were invented to calculate the area of the circle and polygons, pyramid, cone and prism. But the experience of the scientist allowed him to develop common techniques for calculating volumes and areas. To this end, he has improved the exhaustion method invented by Euddox Book, and brought the skill to apply it to a master-level level. Archimedes did not become the creator of the theory of integral calculus, but his work subsequently became the basis for this theory.
The mathematician also laid the foundations of differential calculus. From a geometric point of view, he studied the possibility of determining the tangential line to the curve, from a physical point of view - body speed at any time. The scientist explored a flat curve known as the Archimedean Spiral. He found the first generalized way to find a touch of hyperbole, parabole and an ellipse. Only in the seventeenth century, scientists were able to fully realize and reveal all the ideas of Archimedes who reached those times in his preserved writings. The scientist often refused to describe inventions in the books, which is why not every formula written to them reached this day.
A decent discovery, the scientist considered the invention of the formula for calculating the surface area and the volume of the ball. If the previously described cases of Archimeda refined and improved other theories, or created rapid calculation methods as an alternative to the already existing formulas, then in the case of the determination of the volume and surface of the ball, it was first. Before him, no scientist coped with this task. Therefore, the mathematician asked to knock on his grave stone, inscribed in the cylinder.
Archimedes Act
The discovery of scientist in the field of physics was the statement that is known as the Act of Archimedes. It determined that on every body, immersed in the liquid, puts pressure to the pushing force. It is directed upwards, and in magnitude equal to the weight of the fluid, which was supplanted by placing the body into the liquid, regardless of what the density of this fluid.
There is a legend associated with this discovery. One day, Gieron II was allegedly applied to the scientist, who was doubted that the weight of the crown made for him corresponds to the weight of gold, which was granted to create it. Archimeda made two ingots of the same weight as the crown: silver and gold. Further, he took turns placed these ingots into a vessel with water and noted how long its level increased. Then the scientist put in a crown in the vessel and found that the water had risen not to the level to which it was raised when placed in the vessel of each of the ingots. Thus, it was found that the master left a part of gold to himself.
There is a myth that to make the key discovery in physics Archifed was helped by a bath. During swimming, the scientist allegedly lifted his leg in the water, discovered that in the water she weighs less, and tested insight. Such a situation had a place to be, however, with its help, the scientist discovered the law of Archimedes, but the law of the specific weight of metals.
Astronomy
Archimedes became the inventor of the first planetarium. When moving this device, observe:
- Sunrise Moon and Sun;
- moving five planets;
- The disappearance of the moon and the sun behind the horizon line;
- Phases and eclipses of the moon.
The scientist also tried to create formulas to calculate the distances to celestial bodies. Modern researchers suggest that Archimeda considered the center of the world. He believed that Venus, Mars and Mercury rotate around the Sun, and the whole system revolves around the Earth.
Personal life
The personal life of the scientist is known significantly less than about his science. More and its contemporaries composed numerous legends about gifted mathematics, physics and engineer. The legend says that one day Gieron II decided to present in a gift Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, a multiphalinder ship. The water boat was decided to name "Syracusa", but it did not get into water in any way.
In this situation, the ruler again appealed to Archhimeda. From several blocks, he built the system, with which the descent of a heavy vessel was able to do with one hand movement. If you believe the legends, during this movement, Archimedes said:
"Give me a plot point, and I will turn the world."Death
In 212 BC, during the second Punic war, Syracuses were deposited by the Romans. Archimeda actively used engineering knowledge to help his people win. So, he constructed throwing machines, with the help of which the warriors of Syracuse threw the opponents with heavy stones. When the Romans rushed to the walls of the city, hoping that they would not fall under the shelling, the other invention of the Archimedes was lightly changing devices of a close action - helped the Greeks to throw them with nuclei.
The scientist helped its compatriots in marine battles. The cranes developed by him captured enemy vessels with iron hooks, slightly raised them, and then threw them back. Because of this, the ships turned over and endured collapse. For a long time, these cranes were considered something like legends, but in 2005 a group of researchers proved the performance of such devices by reconstructing them according to the preserved descriptions.
Thanks to the efforts of Archimedes, the Nadezhda Romans fell on the assault of the city. Then they decided to go to the siege. In the autumn of 212 BC, the colony was taken by the Romans as a result of treason. Archimedes during this incident was killed. According to one version, the Roman warrior burned him, on whom the scientist attacked for the fact that he came to his drawing.
Other researchers argue that the place of the death of Archimedes became his laboratory. The scientist allegedly became so hard in research, which refused to immediately follow the Roman soldier, who was ordered to carry out Archimedes to the warlord. That in anger pierced the old man with his sword.
There are also variations of this story, however, they converge that the ancient Roman politician and warlord Marcello was extremely saddown by the death of a scientist and, uniting and with Cyracus citizens, and with his own filed, arranged Archhimeda lush funeral. Cicero, who found a scholars's destroyed grave 137 years after his death, saw a ball on her, inscribed in the cylinder.
Works
- Quadrature parabolla
- About ball and cylinder
- About Spirals
- About conoids and spheroids
- On the equilibrium of flat figures
- Message to Eratosthene about the method
- On floating bodies
- Circle measurement
- Psammit.
- Stomakhion.
- The task of Archimedes about bulls
- Treatise on the construction near the ball of a bodily figure with fourteen bases
- Lemm book
- Book on the construction of a circle divided into seven equal parts
- Book of circles