Beruflich Dokumente
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S c hoo l of P hys i cs
U n i ve rs i ty of Sy d ney A u s t r a l i a
Archimedes' Principle
It can be argued that the study of hydrostatics was begun by
Archimedes in the third century B.C. The greatest physicist
of ancient time, Archimedes was apparently a kinsman of
Hieron II, Tyrant of Syracuse. Legend has it that the king
ordered a solid gold crown to be made. But when the piece
was delivered, although its weight was right, Hieron
suspected that his jeweler had substituted silver for gold in
the hid-den interior. Archimedes was given the challenge of
determining the truth without damaging the royal treasure.
After pondering the problem for some time, its solution came
to him while he was musing in a warm tub at the public
baths. The distracted philosopher leaped from the water and
ran home naked, shouting through the streets, "Heureka!
Heureka!" I have found it! I have found it! What he found, as
we shall soon see, was far more valuable than Hieron's
crown.