Who was Archimedes (ahr ki MEE deez)? Archimedes was a brilliant Greek inventor—whose ideas are still in use today. Let’s learn more.
Archimedes was born about 287 B. C. in Syracuse, Sicily, which at the time was a Greek colony. Not much is known about his family life or lineage, but historians think his father may have been an astronomer. Archimedes may also have had some royal blood. He went all the way to Alexandria, Egypt, to go to school. Archimedes must have received a very good education there because he went back to Syracuse and invented many amazing tools and concepts.
The Amazing Inventions of Archimedes
Archimedes was fascinated with the power of the lever and pulley. He created devices that could raise great ships out of the water. Another idea he used in the sea was of using large mirrors on a ship to reflect the sun’s rays and burn down other ships! I guess it would take a pretty big mirror to do that. Archimedes also figured out a clever way to move water for irrigation. He invented what is known as Archimedes’ screw. Imagine placing a giant screw (the size of a man) in a lake or stream. As you turned the screw, water would catch in the grooves and travel up and out.
One more fascinating invention (also used in the water) was called The Claw of Archimedes. It was a giant metal claw or hand (similar to the claw-games you find at arcades) used to upset enemy war ships. It was apparently so effective that in the siege of Syracuse (214 BC), the attacking Romans wondered if the gods of mythology were ambushing them.
Apparently, Archimedes dabbled in astronomy like his father. Historians think that he may have written a few unpublished works on astronomy; however, these have been lost to history. One still survives having the very fantastical name of “The Sand-Reckoner.” In it Archimedes tries to determine the size of the universe using grains of sand as a measuring tool, alongside mathematics. Speaking of mathematics, Archimedes also calculated the value of pi, which is used to help determine the dimensions of circles.
Eureka!
Now, this next idea has a story with I think you’ll find quite entertaining. The king where Archimedes lived was suspicious that the gold crown he had ordered was not made of pure gold. He asked Archimedes to figure out if some of the gold had been replaced with a less-expensive metal. Archimedes pondered this question for a long time. One day as he was lowering himself into a bathtub, he noticed the amount of water that splashed out. He realized that the displacement of water for the weight of gold would be different from the displacement for the weight of a cheaper metal. Archimedes had stumbled onto the great idea of displacement, but in doing so forgot himself. He was so excited about his observation that he jumped out of the tub, forgot his clothes and ran through the town! The story goes that he yelled unclothed, “Eureka, eureka!”—which in Greek means “I have found it!” If this legend is true, it surely shocked a few onlookers!
An Unfortunate End
Unfortunately, this same kind of absentmindedness might have contributed to the death of Archimedes in 212 B.C. Here’s the setting: the Romans were besieging Syracuse. The Roman general in charge had forbidden his soldiers to harm Archimedes because he was a valuable asset. The stories differ, but some say that Archimedes remained working in his study with some special instruments—completely unaware of what was going on. A Roman soldier killed him in hopes that his tools were made of gold. Other versions of the story say a soldier killed Archimedes while he was strolling, carrying an expensive invention. Either way, Archimedes wasn’t paying much attention to the battle raging around him. According to legend, his last words were “Nōlī turbāre circulōs meōs!”, which translates to “Do not disturb my circles!.” This supposedly was in reference to the geometry project he was working on. Again, there is no solid proof he said this, but it is a funny quote that reveals his character.
Either way, the brilliant life of Archimedes ended abruptly. The Roman general who had hoped to spare the life of Archimedes built a special tomb in his honor. His tomb has been lost to history and is still waiting to be discovered today. The death of Archimedes was a great loss, and I can’t help but wonder what more he may have invented had his life not been cut short.
Enrichment Activities for All Ages
Younger Students—Fun with Displacement
Materials: Masking tape, permanent marker, bathtub or large tub
Get a one-foot length of masking tape and a permanent marker. Adhere the tape vertically in your bathtub or container. Fill it about half way with water. When the water is done filling up, mark the water line on the tape with the marker. Now, climb in or put in your arm and be very still. When the water has finished sloshing around, mark the new water line. It should be higher than the last line. Mark different lines for other people. The biggest people should have the highest watermark. This means they would displace more water than the smaller people would. Don’t forget to yell “Eureka, eureka!” when you get out!
Middle Students—Mirror!
ADULT SUPERVISION NEEDED. Materials: Small mirror, 1 piece of paper
Using a mirror and the sunlight, experiment with angling and directing the mirror. (CAUTION: Be careful not to reflect the light into anyone’s eyes. Never stare or look directly at the sun, which is very harmful to your eyes!) Aim for your piece of paper, noting the amount of heat it creates. Archimedes was able to start a fire with this method. You probably won’t have the same success but work over concrete just in case!
Older Students—Make a Claw of Archimedes! (Idea and photos contributed by Selah Elder.)
Materials: Scissors, Cardboard, String, Straws, Hot Glue Gun or Masking tape, Pencil.
Now, we don’t know for sure what Archimedes’ claw looked like, but we can make this cool hand mechanism that might come close. First, trace your hand over the cardboard and then cut it out. Bend the fingers where the knuckles on the hand. Cut small, inch-long pieces of straws and glue or tape them on the fingers, between the bends (knuckles) on the hand. Once they are secure, thread a piece of string through the straws, one piece of string for each finger. Glue one section of straw (Optional; maybe a larger straw, like a soft drink straw) to the wrist of the hand. Thread all the strings (there should be 5) through this wrist-straw and tie a knot so they don’t come apart. When you pull the thread at the knot, the fingers should move like a real hand! Try picking up small objects, or performing tasks that a real hand would do (like drawing). You can experiment with making longer fingers, adding a long stick to the wrist area, or whatever comes to mind!
