Archimedes of Syracuse
(287 – 212 B.C)

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician who lived near Sicily in the third century B.C. His work in geometry, mechanics and hydrostatic was of pioneering nature and has had lasting importance in science and mathematics.

Hiero, the king of Syracuse, had made a crown of gold from a goldsmith. He had given the goldsmith a weight of gold. But he was suspicious that the goldsmith had cheated him and had mixed some other metal and made the crown. He wanted to find out if the crown contained as much gold as he had given, without destroying the crown. He assigned the problem to Archimedes. 

Archimedes was worried about this puzzle and it followed him everywhere he went. One day he went to a public bath. As he lowered himself in the water, he noticed that the water level was rising! Suddenly he splashed out of the bath shouting “Eureka!! Eureka!!” ( I have found it! I have found it!) He arrived at his house and put the newly found discovery to a practical test. He found that if a body is put into a fluid, it loses an amount of weight which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it. Archimedes was able to tell the king how much pure gold was in his crown.  

Archimedes had discovered many mechanical devices also. Our modern screws and bolts are descendents of Archimedes’ discovery. He knew the mechanics of levers also. He is the one who has said “ give me a place to stand and a long stick, I will be able to lift the earth”.