A barometer is a scientific instrument used to measure atmospheric air pressure, and changes in its readings can help forecast short-term shifts in the weather. The Italian scientist Evangelista Torricelli is credited with inventing the barometer around 1643, building on earlier experiments including Giovanni Battista Baliani's 1630 siphon experiment and Gasparo Berti's rudimentary water barometer of the early 1640s; Torricelli's key contribution was recognizing that the weight of the atmosphere, rather than a force pulling the mercury upward, supports the column of mercury in the tube, making him the first to understand the barometer as a true measure of air pressure.
Facts
YearSourced to the subject's own accountTraditionally credited to Torricelli in 1643; historian W. E. Knowles Middleton argues 1644 is more likely, since 1643 was only suggested after Torricelli's death. SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountTorricelli viewed the barometer as a balance, an instrument for measurement, rather than merely a device for creating a vacuum; because he was the first to see it this way, he is traditionally considered the inventor of the barometer in the modern sense of the term. 1 Connections
Predecessor Of
Altimeter, Inventions The pressure altimeter is a barometer recalibrated to read altitude instead of pressure.
Source Pressure Altimeter (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Barometer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, opening paragraph
Evangelista Torricelli is usually credited with inventing the barometer in 1643, although the historian W. E. Knowles Middleton suggests the more likely date is 1644 (when Torricelli first reported his experiments; the 1643 date was only suggested after his death).
History section, Evangelista Torricelli subsection
he is traditionally considered the inventor of the barometer, in the sense in which we now use the term.
View the Source Pressure Altimeter (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationPredecessor Of: Altimeter, Lead sectionQuote, Predecessor Of: Altimeter, Lead section
Altitude can be determined by the measurement of atmospheric pressure. The greater the altitude, the lower the pressure. When a barometer is supplied with a nonlinear calibration so as to indicate altitude, the instrument is a type of altimeter called a pressure altimeter or barometric altimeter.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.