Question

What was the major contribution/ discoveries of Archimedes ?
A. Principle of buoyancy ; Principle of the lever
B. Wave theory of light.
C. Laws of electromagnetic induction
D. Generation of electromagnetic waves

Answer 1

Archimedes was a great mathematician , physicist , astronomer,engineer , weapon designer and inventor. Archimedes made his contribution in geometry , classical physics , engineering etc. His methods anticipated integral calculus , fluid mechanics & hydrodynamics.

Complete step-by-step solution: In the 3rd century BC , Archimedes
- invented science of mechanics and hydrostatics ( principle of buoyancy )
- discovered the laws of levers and pulleys, which allows us to lift heavier things / objects with less amount of energy .
- invented the most fundamental concepts of physics that is the centre of gravity.
- Showed that exponents could be used to write bigger numbers .
- Discovered and mathematically proved the formulas for volume and surface area of the sphere.
- Calculated the pi to the most precise value known that is 22/7. This value is still in use for an approximate solution on paper.
Hence option (A) is the correct answer.
Option (B) – Wave theory of light was first proposed by Dutch mathematician – astronomer Christiaan Huygens.
Option (C ) – Laws of electromagnetic induction was first given by faraday. Also we know that Faraday told us how a magnetic field will interact with an electric circuit to produce an electromagnetic force. This is the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction.
Option (D) – James Clerk Maxwell developed equations for the electromagnetic field which suggested that waves in the field would travel with a speed that was very- very close to the speed of light.

Note:- Archimedes has gone down in history as the guy who ran naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting with ‘Eureka! ‘ … ‘Eureka!’ which means ‘I have it !’ . The story behind that was – Archimedes was charged with proving that the new crown made for the king of Syracuse ( Hieron ) was not pure gold as the goldsmith had claimed it .
One of the inventions from Archimedes was screw. This device uses a corkscrew with a hollow tube , when the screw turns , water is pulled up to the tube . It was originally used to empty sea water from the ship's hull . It is still used today as a method of irrigation in developing countries .