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5InventionsofArchimedesThatStillDon’tFailtoSurpriseUs

Archimedeswasaprodigyinthefieldofmathematicsandscience,wherehepushedtheboundariesofbothsubjectstoobtainaprofoundresultthroughcarefulresearch,calculation,andobservation.Heisknownasthe‘fatherofmathematicalphysics’,andthe‘fatherofintegralcalculus’,quiterightly.Let’stakealookathowtheinventionsofArchimedeshavepavedawayformodernizedversionsofhisworks.

Archimedeswasn’tonlyarespectedphysicianandmathematician,butanastronomer,engineer,andinventor.Heisoneofthegreatestmathematiciansofalltime,withthelikesofCarlFriedrichGaussandIsaacNewtonintherunning.WhiletheGreekmathematicianwasmadefamousbyhisadaptationoftheleverandtheArchimedes’screw,hisgreatestachievementwasprovingthatasphere(setwithinacylindricalstructure)wastwothirdsthevolumeofthecylinder’ssurfacearea.Archimedeswassopassionateaboutwhathedid,thatevenwhiletakingabathhe’dbescribblingaway.

ArchimedesissaidtohavediedfromthehandsofaRomansoldier,whogrufflyaskedtobeaccompaniedtoseeGeneralMarcellus.InspiteoftheGeneralmakingitclearthatArchimedesnotbeharmed,theRomansoldierwasangeredandkilledArchimedeswhenherefusedtobudge,insistingthatamathematicaldiagramfirstbecompleted.Otherssaythathemayhavebeenkilledbecausethesoldierthoughtthathewascarryingvaluableitems,whenitwasinfactonlyhismathematicalinstruments.

TheInventionsofArchimedes

TheGoldCrown

Thespeculationssurroundingthisincidentareaplenty,butonecandrawaconclusionthatatleastoneofthemethodsistrueaccordingtoArchimedes’discoveryoftheimpuregoldcrown.Thestorygoeslikethis,HieroIIwhowasthekingofSyracuse,summonedArchimedestotestthepurenessofagoldcrownbecausehesuspectedthatthegoldsmithhadn’tuseda100%puregoldinitsmaking.Thecrown,whichwasintheshapeofwreath,wasoftenplacedonstatuesofeitheragodoragoddess.

Archimedesissaidtohavetriedoneoftwoways,whereargumentsoftheaccuracyofonesuchmethodwasbroughttolight.Asaccurateasthefollowingmethodssound,Vitruvius(Romanarchitect)saysthatitwas"theresultofaboundlessingenuity".WhilehesaysthatthiswashowArchimedestestedtheweightofthegoldcrown,itwasn’texplainedlikesoinArchimedes’writings.ThisformulawouldlaterbecalledArchimedes’principleonbuoyancywhere,Buoyancy=weightofdisplacedfluid.

Method1(astoldbyVitruvius)

Vitruviussays,"Thesolutionwhichoccurredwhenhesteppedintohisbathandcausedittooverflowwastoputaweightofgoldequaltothecrown,andknowntobepure,intoabowlwhichwasfilledwithwatertothebrim.Thenthegoldwouldberemovedandtheking’scrownputin,initsplace.Analloyoflightersilverwouldincreasethebulkofthecrownandcausethebowltooverflow."

Method2(mostprobablecase)

Archimedesissaidtohavesuspendedthegoldcrownandagoldpiecewiththesameweightthatwassupposedtobeused,aboveatubofwater.Whensunkintothewater,thecrownissaidtohavebeenplacedalittlehigherthanthegoldpiece(lighterthanthelatter),provingtoArchimedesthatanalloyofsilvermayhavebeenusedinmakingthecrown.Thispresentedclearevidencethatthegoldsmithhadn’tusedpuregoldwhilemakingthecrown.

TheIronClaw

Theaccountofthisinventionisvague,inthesensethatitdoesn’tfullyexplainexactlyhowArchimedesdesignedthefinalstructure.Therearemanyvariationsofthe‘ironclaw’whichArchimedesdesignedandhadconsequentlyconstructedinordertowardoffattackingships.ThemechanismoftheironclawwastoupturnshipsthatapproachedthewallsofSyracuse,whereitwouldbeloweredintotheseafromaheight.Oncetheclawfasteneditselftotheship’sunderbelly,itwouldbetuggedinanupwardfashion.Oncetheywerereleased,theshipswouldeitherfalltotheirsidesorbedroppedfromaheightthatforcedittosink.

Archimedes’Lever

Aleverisabeamorrodconnectedtothegroundbyapivot,calledafulcrumwhereitisusedtodisplaceheavyobjectsusingakindofmechanism.Archimedeshasbeenquoted("Givemeaplacetostand,andIshallmovetheEarthwithit.")abouttheuseoftheleverwhenheperfectedtheprincipleofleversmathematically.Thisisknownasthelawofthelever.Itisexpressedusingtheformulabelow.

Min=Findin=Foutdout=Mout

Therearedifferentsortsofleversdependingupontheplacementoftheresistance,fulcrum,andtheexertedenergy.Intheimageabove,youcanclearlyseehowthepositionoftheseelementscometogethertoworkoutaparticulartaskoraction.

Archimedes’Screw

ThisisperhapshismostsignificantinventionwhereArchimedesdesignedastructurethatallowedwaterfromalowlyingplaintoreachirrigationcanalswithoutlaboriouseffort.TheSSArchimedeswasashipnamedafterthegreatinventor,whichwasthefirststeamshiptocomewithascrewpropeller.

ItwasfirstcalledtheEgyptianscrewsinceArchimedeshadbeentoEgyptonavisitfromSyracuse.KingHieroIIwantedArchimedestodesignahugeshipthatcouldholdanapproximateof600people,completewithagymnasium,temple,andgarden-likeinteriors.Whenbilgewateraccumulatedtoapointwhereitbecametoodeep(ontheshipSyracusia),amancouldpumpoutthewaterusingthesamescrewdesign(fittedwithinacylindricalstructure)byArchimedes.

BurningMirrors

Archimedesaspreviouslymentioned,cameupwithawaytodefendthecityofSyracusebyinventingtheironclaw.Likewise,hecameupwithawayoferectinglargemirrorsplacedatdesignatedlocationsonlandwhilepositioningtheminsuchawaythatittargetedenemyshipsatsea.Oncethesunbeamsreflectedoffthemirror,itignitedtheenemyshipswithinmoments.Therearethosethatsaysuchathingmaynothavebeenpossiblesincethismethodwouldonlyproveeffectiveifweatherconditionssuitedthemechanism’sworking.

Otherswhotriedtoconfirmtheinvention’susage,foundthatashipatadistancecouldn’tbeignited-400ft.awaytobeexact.OnesuchexperimentwasdonebyIoannisSakkas,aGreekscientist,whoplaced70mirrorsaroundaRomanshipmock-up,whichimmediatelyburstintoflameswhenthesun’slightwasconcentrated.Itwas160ft.awayandcoatedintarpaintwhichmayhavebeenthereasonbehinditbeingsoflammable.