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Leon Foucault
By: Madelyn Becker
Introducing Leon Foucault
A French physicist who proved the Earth rotates on its axis. He was born on September 18, 1819 in Paris, France. Today he would be 194 years old. Leon died on February 11, 1868 at the age of only 48. He died of multiple sclerosis. Leon studied medicine then later switched his interests to experimental physics. In 1851 Leon invented the pendulum.
The Foucault Pendulum
Its a pendulum with a long wire that can swing in any direction. The change in the swing plane demonstrates the earth's rotation.
This experiment is such a great significance in earth science because of it proving the different angles of earth.
Resources
- http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2009/01/dayintech_0107
- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foucault_pendulum_closeup.jpg
- http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectures/illustrations/lecture27/foucaultpendulum.html
- http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-google-doodle-foucault-20130918,0,7291758.story
- http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2013/09/18/google_doodle_leon_foucault_the_man_who_proved_the_earth_revolves.html
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/10316945/Leon-Foucault-remembered-in-Google-Doodle.html