From his early childhood Pascal was concerned about scientific problems, in spite his fathers wish of a classical education. Through a friend of his fathers, he learned about the experiments of Torricelli, which later on became the foundation of the barometer. In 1648 he made an experiment that, supports the understanding of the surrounding air as a sea, and thereby the recognition of atmospheric pressure. He constructed two barometers. One was placed at the foot of a mountain, and the other was carried, by his cosine, to an altitude of 3000 metres. A comparison showed a difference of 3" 1.5" mercury columns. That corresponds to a difference in pressure of 11000 Pascal, which is the unit of pressure used today.
| © 1998- Klima Design A/S - controllers • climate computers • actuators • alarm systems |