eureka-how-archimedes-insired-us
It has now become commonplace that when someone says he had “a Eureka moment”, it means that, all of a sudden, as a flash of inspiration, he has solved a thorny problem. This expression denotes surprise, joy, and satisfaction. Grammatically, the word “Eureka” (εὕρηκα) is the past tense of the ancient Greek verb “εὑρίσκω” which means “to find” and therefore the expression means “I found [it]!”.
This historical interjection is attributed to the brilliant Athenian mathematician and scientist Archimedes (c. 287-212 BC). The story of this event is as follows. Hieron II [(308-215 BC), tyrant of Syracuse (270-215 BC)] asked him to check if the goldsmiths to whom he had ordered a heavy votive crown made of gold had adulterated the precious metal, and therefore deceived the ruler and his court.
It is rumored that Archimedes, while enjoying his bath one day, noticed that the more his body sank in the bathtub, the higher the water level rose. So, he discovered the principle of displacement – but at the same time he realized that he could measure the volume of the crown and the density of its materials.
Just like the water spilled over the edge when he entered his bathtub, the water in a glass will spill over when ice cubes are added to it. If the water that spilled out was weighed (weight is a downward force), it would equal the upward (buoyant) force on the object. From the buoyant force, the volume or average density of the object can be determined.
Archimedes was able to determine that the crown was not pure gold due to the volume of the displaced water, because even though the weight of the crown was identical to the weight of the gold that the king gave the crown maker, the volume was different due the various densities of the metals.
Delighted with his discovery and as a typical abstract scientist, he jumped out of the bathtub and came out naked on the street shouting “Eureka, Eureka!“, meaning “I found [it], I found [it]!”
Enjoy the journey through Greek history, mythology, and philosophy by exploring the meanings of 24 significant words through our captivating eBook on Greek language. You can buy it here!
Sources
[1]: Tulloch, A. (2018). It’s All Greek: Borrowed Words and their Histories. The Bodleian Library.
[2]: livescience.com
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