Leon Foucault
By: Jenny Tapia
Who is He??
Leon Foucault was born September 18, 1819. He would be one-hundred ninety four right now. He was a french physicist. While other scientist were struggling on demonstrating how the earth rotated on it's axis, Leon stepped in to help. Leon used a multi-direction pendulum, which would be released over a thin layer of sand. When you look at a pendulum it looks like its changing direction while the surface stay static its actually the opposite. If its placed farther from the equator, the faster it seems to move around in a circle. If its closer that, the less it appears to move at all.
What did he study?
When Leon was a teenager he loved to construct machines and toys. With his skills it was suggested to his mother that he would be an excellent surgeon and having his obtained his high school diploma. Leon entered medical school in Paris 1839. Then switched to physics. Leon was made a member of the Royal Society of London and also the Legion d'Honneur.
What is the Foucault Pendulum and How does it work??
The Foucault Pendulum is the first demonstration of the earths rotation that wasn't relied on astronomical observations. Its affected by two kinds of motion: twisting and traveling . Twisting is the circular motion that is directly on the axis. A better understanding is two Foucault pendulums, one is placed directly one the north pole and the other one is placed at the equator. At the north pole, the pendulums rotates in a complete circle every twenty-four hours- it twist but doesn't travel. At the equator it travels a wide path around the earths axis, but doesn't even begin to make a circle it travels but doesn't twist.
Why was his inventions and research significant?
Leon was the first to determine the velocity of light. He also discovered the means of taking photos through the lens of a microscope. He found out the speed of light by using a rotating mirror in an enclosed space. His experiments then became increasingly focused on engineering.
Interesting facts(=
-Jean Bernard Léon Foucault was born in Paris, France
-When he was a teen he attended Collége Stanislas, where he was known as lazy to his teachers.
-When he was a teen he attended Collége Stanislas, where he was known as lazy to his teachers.
- In 1845 he took Donné's position as an editor of the scientific newspaper.
-His work was interrupted by a stroke in July 1867.
-He died of a brain illness on February 11,1868
Resources
-http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Foucault.html
-psychology.about.com/od/profilesal/p/leon-festinger.htm
-newsfeed.time.com/2013/09/18/google-doodle-honors-physicist-leon-foucault-and-shows-how-the-earth-spins/
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Foucault.jpg/225px-Foucault.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%25C3%25A9on_Foucault&h=230&w=180&sz=1&tbnid=yxBX8y3-bjzeIM:&tbnh=186&tbnw=145&zoom=1&usg=__3m2NZW259x5liijypaE9ooV5Y5o=&docid=pp5o0zm01BEi6M&itg=1&sa=X&ei=Fb07UpmgK4bi8gTl6oHQDg&ved=0CJcBEPwdMAs
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-psychology.about.com/od/profilesal/p/leon-festinger.htm
-newsfeed.time.com/2013/09/18/google-doodle-honors-physicist-leon-foucault-and-shows-how-the-earth-spins/
-http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Foucault.jpg/225px-Foucault.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%25C3%25A9on_Foucault&h=230&w=180&sz=1&tbnid=yxBX8y3-bjzeIM:&tbnh=186&tbnw=145&zoom=1&usg=__3m2NZW259x5liijypaE9ooV5Y5o=&docid=pp5o0zm01BEi6M&itg=1&sa=X&ei=Fb07UpmgK4bi8gTl6oHQDg&ved=0CJcBEPwdMAs
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http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/18/leon-foucault-google-doodle
http://www.biography.com/people/l%C3%A9on-foucault-40760