Magdeburg hemispheres

The Magdeburg hemispheres Otto demonstrated from Guericke in 1654 at the Diet of Regensburg in 1657 at the court of the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm, the effect of air pressure, thus demonstrating the existence of the Earth's atmosphere and refuted in an easily comprehensible way the so-called horror vacui, like the seven years earlier also Blaise Pascal had already done with his less illustrative experiment emptiness of emptiness. Guericke repeated the experiment in 1656 in Magdeburg.

The end of the experiment

Guericke placed two hemispherical shells made ​​of copper with about 30 cm diameter each other so that they formed a sphere. A soaked with wax and turpentine leather strips served between the spherical shells as a seal. He then withdrew from the thus formed cavity with which he invented piston pump via a valve the air. The air pressure, who was now only from outside on the ball, this down so much that this is not even 30 ( in Regensburg, two teams, each with 15 ) or 16 ( in Magdeburg, two teams of eight ) horses more could be pulled apart. The effective load stirred while only one of the two teams, so 15 or eight horses (the other team could have been replaced by the attachment of the ropes to a tree or wall hooks); probably took von Guericke the extra work involved for a more impressive presentation of his experiment in purchasing. The hemispheres were separated again until it flowed through a valve ambient air back into the ball.

Hemisphere phrases

For his performances Otto von Guericke subsided and make hemispheres after several blocks:

  • At the founding of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Emperor Wilhelm II to the museum the hemispheres and the air pump that were used for the demonstration in front of the Brandenburg electors. They are there ever since exhibits.
  • Another set of hemispheres and an air pump from the possession of Otto von Guericke arrived on the University of Helmstedt in the possession of the Technical University of Braunschweig, where he is on display in the library.

Today's demonstrations

The Otto-von -Guericke Company performs regularly hemisphere experiments publicly and in museums before.

Monument

On 15 June 2002, the large sculpture was dedicated to Magdeburg hemisphere experiment in Magdeburg. On the Ratswaageplatz downtown Mayor Lutz Trümper and Otto von Guericke (aka Wolfgang Emmrich ) revealed the large-scale sculpture for Magdeburg hemisphere experiment. The mayor had previously received from the hands of Dr. Peter Trans Field, CEO of ÖHMI AG, the deed of gift for the created by the sculptor also present Prof. Thomas Virnich work of art. ÖHMI was the initiator and principal of five meters high and eight meters long cast bronze sculpture, on the occasion of the 400th birthday of Otto von Guericke especially the scientific achievements of the former mayor of Magdeburg and scholars should be honored with this. 200 sponsors and donors who helped to make the city better known as a place of Magdeburg hemisphere experiment Guericke's famous. The hemisphere experiment is available in the form of various souvenirs.

Others

  • The hemispheres are subject to at least two German stamps.
  • Were the occasion of the 400th birthday of Otto von Guericke in " Guericke- year " 2002 - spread all over the city of Magdeburg - positioned as sculptures that are painted with different themes that relate to the social life stylized " Magdeburg hemispheres ". To 1200. Anniversary of the city in 2005 more of these works of art were added.
  • There are also chocolates in the shape of the famous hemispheres.
  • On the label of the jeans by Levi Strauss & Co. is a modification of the sketch Caspar bulkhead is used, which shows two horses trying to tear a pair of pants.
  • On the front facade of the German Patent and Trademark Office in Munich are mounted as a symbol of researchers urge Magdeburg hemispheres.
Gasket Postage stamp Praline Gaspar Schott
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