Torricelli, Evangelista
Published: August 18, 2006, 4:50 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 4:50 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
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.
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Citation
Cutler J. 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 May 22, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Torricelli,_Evangelista>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
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.
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