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Archimedes’ most famous (though not the greatest) accomplishment was when Hiero became suspicious that a crown made for him by his goldsmith was diluted with silver. Not knowing what to do, he turned to Archimedes for help. Archimedes realized that if there was silver in the crown it would displace more water than would be displaced by gold of an equal weight. As it turned out, the kings fears were justified; the goldsmith had cheated after all.
Archimedes’ most famous (though not the greatest) accomplishment was when Hiero became suspicious that a crown made for him by his goldsmith was diluted with silver. Not knowing what to do, he turned to Archimedes for help. Archimedes realized that if there was silver in the crown it would displace more water than would be displaced by gold of an equal weight. As it turned out, the kings fears were justified; the goldsmith had cheated after all.
Archimedes did a tremendous amount of ground-breaking work on levers and pulleys, enabling the Greeks to move heavier things than ever before. He once bragged “give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth”. He also invented the Archimedean screw, a device still used in irrigation today. Despite all this he considered his greatest accomplishment to be his book on the sphere and the cylinder. He even had a sphere and cylinder engraved on his tombstone when he died.
Archimedes did a tremendous amount of ground-breaking work on levers and pulleys, enabling the Greeks to move heavier things than ever before. He once bragged “give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth”. He also invented the Archimedes screw, a device (consisting of a large screw inside a pipe) still used in irrigation today. Despite all this he considered his greatest accomplishment to be his book on the sphere and the cylinder. He even had a sphere and cylinder engraved on his tombstone when he died.
Archimedes was killed in 212 B.C. when the Romans, under General Marcellus, captured Syracuse. His death was a great loss to the ancient world.”
Archimedes was killed in 212 B.C. when the Romans, under General Marcellus, captured Syracuse. His death was a great loss to the ancient world.”