Archimedes: 7 lesser-known facts about the ancient Greek scientist
- Sayan Paul
- 15 April, 2021
- 2 mins ago
An ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, philosopher and astronomer, Archimedes is one of the most celebrated figures in history.
Whenever we think about Archimedes, the first thing that strikes in our head is the famous 'Eureka' story. But there's a lot more about him that most us don't even have any idea. Being a genius personality, Archimedes revolutionized several scientific fields with his inventions and discoveries. Here, we have gathered some fascinating facts about him that will leave you spellbound.
- Although Archimedes' exact birth date is unknown, it is believed that he was born around 287 BC in Syracuse in Sicily.
- According to the historians, Archimedes was related to the king of the then Syracuse, King Hiero II. His father Phidias was an astronomer. The historians have not found any information whether he was married or not. Also, it is believed that he left Syracuse when he was 10 years old and moved to Alexandria to study in school.
- One of the greatest mathematicians ever in the world, Archimedes contributed a lot to the field of mathematics and introduced several new methods that are still being used today. He developed modern calculus and analysis and used them to derive many things such as the area of a circle, the area of an ellipse, the area of a spiral, the area under a parabola, the surface area and volume of a sphere, the volume of a segment of a paraboloid of revolution, the volume of a segment of a hyperboloid of revolution etc. He also found an accurate estimation of ‘pi’ and introduced a system using exponentiation to express large numbers. By applying mathematics to physical world, he found the fundamentals of hydrostatics and statics.
- By applying the concepts of geometry and physics, Archimedes developed the principle of the powerful machine called lever.
- Archimedes used his understanding of mathematics and physics and developed a number of superweapons to protect his city Syracuse from the attackers. His most notable weapon is the 'Claw of Archimedes' that was used to defend Syracuse from the attacks of Romans in 214 BC. His other famous weapons include 'Death Ray', a powerful catapult etc.
- He invented a machine called 'Archimedes screw' which revolutionized the entire world. The machine (which helps in moving water) later helped Leonardo da Vinci in the development of functioning flying machine.
- Archimedes is mostly remembered for his famous law in hydrostatics called Archimedes’ principle. It states, "the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces."