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Archimedes

All the contents of this book are centred on three sentences attributed to Archimedes:
“Was it of golden the wreath of the King Heron?”

“Give me a point of support and I will raise the Earth.”
“How did Archimedes burn the Roman chips?”
Thus, taking as the reference of our work these two well-known sentences, a series of topics not only related to Physics but also to other matters forming part of our students’ curriculum: History, Language, classic Culture etc. have been developed.


	Archimedes is not only known as the most talented of the Greek mathematicians, but also as the most famous scientist of antiquity. He was born and lived in Syracuse, in Sicily (287-212 B.C.). The city of Siracusa was founded in 734 B.C. by Greek colonists from the city of Corinth. In ancient times it was the most important city on the island of Sicily and, indeed, in whole of Magna Greece. At one point it even rivalled Athens as the most important city in the Greek world.



	Archimedes wrote various works, listed here according to the period in which they were written:
	On the sphere and cylinder Measurement of a circle On conoids and spheroids On spirals On the equilibrium of planes and its centre of gravity			Quadrature of the parabola The sand-reckoner On floating bodies Book of Lemmas The method



	While Archimedes was thinking about this problem, it happened, when he stepped into his bath, observed that the more his body was sinking the more water was overflowing of the bath and that this quantity of water should be equal to the volume of his plunged body. Hereby so simple Archimedes found the solution of the problem in question and was such his happiness that jumped out of the bath and traversing nude for the streets, he was shouting: “Eυρηκα ευρηκα”



	Aristarcus and Archimedes were in Alexandria at the same time and it is likely that they often got together at the great library of that city to discuss and debate topics dealing with mathematics and astronomy. Both men agreed that the Earth was not the center of the Universe, but rather that it revolved around the Sun. It is said that their calculations and drawings must have been on various tables and pieces of papyrus when the venerable building burned to the ground.



		One tells the legend that, having mounted Archimedes a system of spherical mirrors in the mountain of Syracuse, he burnt with the help of the Sun, the Roman ships that were besieging the city. "Ultimately and of an incredible way, Archimedes burned the Roman fleet. For it, he used a great mirror orientated towards the Sun and concentrated the beams of the Sun on the ships; and due to the thickness and polished of the mirror he ignited the air producing a great blaze that he directed on the anchored ships burning them in its entirety "


Questionaries
1. Where did Archimedes live? In Athens Syracuse Carthage 2. Magna Greece was called so because it was: A large area of Greece A Greek colony in Italy A synonym of Great Greece 3. At the time of Archimedes of Syracuse the residents fought against: The Carthaginians and Romans The Greeks The tyrant Hieron II 4. In what language did Archimedes write his works? In Latin In Greek In Arabic 5. What was the name of the general who defeated the syracusiens? Scipio Marcelo Hannibal 6. What was the most famous cultural city in the 3rd century BC? Rome Athens Alexandria 7. We know about the life of Archimedes through: Cicero Plutarch Cervantes 8. A palimpsest is: A book written above another A book written after the 15th century A book written on a papyrus 9. The Archimedes palimpsest was found: In a cave In a monastery In a library 10. Archimedes discovered the principle of: Hydrostatics Mechanics Quantum physics 11. Why does a boat float in water and a stone does not? Because the boat is made of wood Because the push is greater on the vessel than on the rock Because the stone is very tough.			12. Why does one more float in the Dead Sea than in the Mediterranean? Because in the Dead Sea there is a lot of salt Because in the Mediterranean there are many bathers Because in the Dead Sea there are no waves 13. Why did Archimedes shout eureka? Because the crown of gold sank in the water in the bathtub Because they found that the water level rose in the bathtub when he immersed himself in it Because the water in the tub was hot and h burned himself when he went inside 14. A body floats more? In water Alcohol It never floats 15. If three bodies have the same mass why do they sink in a different manner in the same liquid? Because they have a different volume Because they have a different weight Because they have different densities 16. Why does a cherry tomato when entered into different liquids float, sink or stay in their internal equilibrium? Because the liquids have different densities Because green tomatoes always sink Because ripe tomatoes always float 17. At the time of Archimedes it was believed that That the stars were fixed in the sky That the earth moved around the sun That the earth was flat 18. Who said the following sentence "Give me a rallying point and I will move the world"? Aristotle Archimedes Aristarco Samos 19. How did Archimedes burn the enemy ships according to the legend? With powerful lasers With mirrors With catapults 20. What were Archimedes’s last words before he died? Has hurt me, then I die Noli tangere circulos meos Verba volant, scripta manent.