| Otto von Guericke 1602 - 1686 | |||||||||||
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| Otto von Guericke was the inventor of the nothing we now call a vacuum. | |||||||||||
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 Teams of horses trying unsuccessfully
to pull apart vacuum-filled copper spheres in Magdeburg demonstration for
Emperor Ferdinand III. |
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Otto von Guericke was the inventor of the nothing we now call a vacuum. To be more precise, Otto von Guericke proved that a vacuum could exist, before Guericke people did not believe that a vacuum was possible. Creating a vacuum was essential for all kinds of further research into electronics and other innovations. Besides being an inventor and a philosopher, Otto von Guericke served as the mayor or Burgermeister of Magdeburg, Germany from 1646 to 1676.
The hand bellows, used by early smelters and blacksmiths for working iron and metals, was a simple type of air compressor and the first pneumatic device. During the 17th century, Otto von Guericke experimented with and improved air compressors. In 1650, Otto von Guericke invented the air pump, used to create a partial vacuum. In 1663, Guericke demonstrated the power of a vacuum with his Magdeburg Hemispheres to Emperor Ferdinand III. During public demonstrations, teams of horses would attempt to pull the hemispheres apart which were held together by the force of atmospheric pressure created using his vacuum pump. In 1660, Otto von Guericke invented a machine that produced static electricity, this was the first electric generator. Otto von Guericke's generator was described as large sulfur ball mounted on a pole inside a glass globe. The sulfur ball was rotated by a hand crank. The rotating ball rubbed against a pad generating static electricity sparks, however, Otto von Guericke had no idea what the sparks were. His devise was used for early experiments with electricity. In 1661, Guericke invented the manometer. In 1671, Otto von Guericke published his treatise "Experimenta nova Magdeburgia de vacuo spatio" or "New Magdeburg Experiments About the Vacuum". Continue with >>> Electricity or Pneumatic Device History Artwork LOC
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Guericke's
vacuum pumps
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