Biography (c. 287 B.C.-212)
Nationality
Greek
Gender
Male
Occupation
mathematician and inventor
Archimedes
was an ancient Greek mathematician, philosopher, and inventor. Itseems,
however, that he did not think as much of his numerous inventions--important
and fundamental as they were--as he did of his work in the field of
mathematics. He felt his mechanical toys were not the most important
pursuit of a mathematician-philosopher.
Archimedes
was born around 287 B.C. in Syracuse, a town in theGreek colony of Sicily. His
father was the astronomer Phidias, and he was related to the tyrant Hieron II
(308 B.C.?-216
or 215 B.C.).
Archimedes went to Alexandria about 250 B.C. to study under Conon and other mathematicians who had
studied under Euclid (ca. 300 B.C.). He later returned to Syracuse where he apparently
stayed the rest of his life. Archimedes performed countless experiments on
screws, levers, and pulleys. The Archimedean screw, also called a water snail,
isstill used in certain parts of the world to raise and move water. This
screwenclosed in a cylinder created, in essence, the first water pump, and is
perhaps his most remembered invention.
The
Archimedean screw has been the basis for the creation of many other tools, such
as the combine harvester and auger drills. His work with levers and pulleys led
to the inventions of compound pulley systems and cranes. His compound pulleys
are highlighted in a story that reports that Archimedes moved a fully-loaded
ship single-handedly while seated at a distance. His crane was reportedly used
in warfare during the Roman siege of his home, Syracuse.
Other
wartime inventions attributed to Archimedes include rock-throwing catapults, grappling
hooks, and lenses or mirrors that could allegedly reflect thesun's rays and
cause ships to catch on fire. He invented a self-moving celestial model
representing the sun, moon, and constellations, so accurate that it even showed
eclipses in a time-lapse manner. This invention utilized a system of screws and
pulleys that moved the globes in their various courses and speeds.
Many
of Archimedes's inventions were spawned by the experiments he conductedto prove
his theories. He earned the honorary title father of experimentalscience
because he not only discussed and explained many basic scientific principles,
but he also tested them in a process of trial and experimentation which was
based upon three essential principles. The first of these principles is the
idea that natural laws continue to work even with large changes in size. The
second principle proposes that mechanical power can be transferred from models
used in laboratory work to practical applications. The third principle states
that a rational, step-by-step logic is involved in solving mechanical problems
and designing equipment. Adherence to these principles led Archimedes to such
inventions as block and tackle systems, the water snail screw, and
devices for driving objects using axles and drums. Even today, inventors
and scientists assume Archimedean principles to be basic to their fields.
Archimedes
did more than create a number of useful inventions. For instance, he dealt with
mathematical principles such as calculating the value of pi to figure the areas
and volumes of curved surfaces and circular forms. During this process,
Archimedes used methods similar to calculus, which was not to be created for
almost another two thousand years. He also created a form of exponential
notation to allow him to prove that nothing exists that is too large to
measure. 
His theories in the realm of statics, particularly in the studies of
gravity, balance, and equilibrium were based on experiments with
levers.("Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth," he also
is often reported to have said about the lever.)
The
famous story of Archimedes death, though again apocryphal, is that a Roman
soldier killed him during an invasion because Archimedes refused to leave the
contemplation of the mathematical diagrams he had drawn in the dirt."Archimedes Biography (c.287B.C.-212) " n.d. Retrieved November 21.2012 From Web "How Products Are Made" <
