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(287 - 212 B.C.) 
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Archimedes was a Greek mathematician and inventor, who wrote about geometry and mechanics.
Archimedes was born in Syracuse, Sicily, and was educated in Alexandria, Egypt.
In mechanics, Archimedes defined the principle of the lever and is credited with inventing the compound pulley. While he was studying in Egypt he invented the hydraulic screw. This was a device for raising water from a lower to a higher level. He is best known for discovering Archimedes' principle, which states that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. As the story goes, Archimedes made this discovery as he immersed himself in a full tub of water and watched the water overflow. Archimedes is also said to have invented the catapult and even a mirror system that focused the sun's rays onto the boats of invaders causing the craft to ignite. |