Archimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician whose engineering work left as deep a mark as his theoretical one. He is credited with the Archimedes screw, a rotating helical device still used today to lift water and grain, and with designing an array of siege engines, catapults and grappling devices called the Claw of Archimedes that defended Syracuse against a Roman siege for two years. He worked out the principle of the lever and the compound pulley well enough to claim, according to Plutarch, that given a lever long enough and a place to stand he could move the world, and his principle of buoyancy underlies the design of every ship hull calculated since.
Facts
Disputed
Birth YearArchimedes birth year is traditionally given as 287 BCE, derived from a note by the Byzantine historian John Tzetzes stating he lived seventy five years and died in 212 BCE. No contemporary record fixes the date directly, so the figure is a widely used scholarly estimate rather than a documented fact. NationalityGreek, of Syracuse in Sicily 1 Connections
Associated With
Traditionally regarded as the first marine engineer for his marine engineering systems developed in antiquity.
Source Marine Engineering (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
In Field
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Sources
1. A History of Technology
Charles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors, Oxford University Press, 1954View the Source Marine Engineering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Marine Engineering, History sectionQuote, Associated With: Marine Engineering, History section
Archimedes is traditionally regarded as the first marine engineer, having developed a number of marine engineering systems in antiquity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What engineering devices is Archimedes credited with?
The Archimedes screw and the siege engines that defended Syracuse for two years, plus the lever, compound pulley and buoyancy principles.
Archimedes is credited with the Archimedes screw, a rotating helical device still used today to lift water and grain, and with designing siege engines, catapults and grappling devices called the Claw of Archimedes. These defended Syracuse against a Roman siege for two years. He also worked out the principle of the lever and the compound pulley, and his principle of buoyancy underlies the design of every ship hull calculated since.
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