Otto von Guericke, a German scientist of 17th century, invented a pump to extract air out of the vessel. With the help of this pump, he demonstrated dramatically the force of the air pressure. He joined two metallic hemispheres of 51 cm diameter each and pumped air out of them. Then he employed eight horses on each hemisphere to pull them apart (Fig. 11.20). So great is the force of air pressure that the hemispheres could not be pulled apart. how please explain?
Answers
Explanation:
The Magdeburg hemispheres are a pair of large copper hemispheres, with mating rims. They were used to demonstrate the power of atmospheric pressure. When the rims were sealed with grease and the air was pumped out, the sphere contained a vacuum and could not be pulled apart by teams of horses. The Magdeburg hemispheres were invented by German scientist and mayor of Magdeburg,[1] Otto von Guericke, to demonstrate the air pump that he had invented, and the concept of atmospheric pressure. The first artificial vacuum had been produced a few years earlier by Evangelista Torricelli, and had inspired Guericke to design the world's first vacuum pump, which consisted of a piston and cylinder with one-way flap valves. The hemispheres became popular in physics lectures as an illustration of the strength of air pressure, and are still used in education for juniors and seniors alike. A pair of the original hemispheres are on display in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.