Torricelli, Evangelista
Torricelli, Evangelista
| Topics: |  Natural Sciences |
Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647) was an Italian physicist and mathematician who was a colleague of Galileo. He is known for inventing the barometer in 1643. His work in geometry aided in the eventual development of integral calculus. Following a suggestion by Galileo, he filled a 4 ft long glass tube with mercury and inverted the tube into a dish. Upon doing so, he correctly recognized the fact that the height of the mercury was only 1/14 that of a water barometer, thus proving that mercury is fourteen times as dense as water. He also noticed that the level of mercury varied from day to day and observed that the space above the mercury in the barometer must contain a vacuum.
Citation
Cutler Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Torricelli, Evangelista". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Torricelli,_Evangelista>
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Editor-in-Chief
The Encyclopedia of Earth Cutler J. Cleveland is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Cleveland is currently a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Boston University, with joint appointments in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future. He also is a Senior Fellow at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington D.C. Dr. Cleveland is als ... (Full Bio)
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