Blaise Pascal - a physicist, a famous French scientist, is considered one of the founders of mathematical analysis, projective geometry and probability theory. The hero of our article is the author of the basic law of hydrostatics, which Napoleon dreamed of becoming a senator if he were his contemporary. His achievements have become fundamental to the next generation of researchers in the exact sciences. In fact, he was at the forefront of computer science, although he lived in the 17th century. The scientist invented a summing machine, which became the prototype of a modern calculator. In addition, he was a philosopher who left behind a huge number of wise quotes and aphorisms.
early years
Blaise Pascal was born in 1623 in the small town of Clermont-Ferrand, located in a commune in southern France. The hero of our article grew up in a large family of officials who belonged to the half-noble family.
His father Etienne led the tax administration, and the mother of the hero of our article, Antoinette Begon, was engaged in household work, remaining a deeply religious woman. She was the daughter of the Seneschal, a representative of senior court posts.
When the boy was only three years old, his mother died, so that he was raised exclusively by his father. Etienne was well versed in mathematics and other exact sciences, so he gave his children an excellent home education. Blaise showed liveliness of mind and curiosity from an early age. For example, at the dinner table, he constantly interested his father in the basics of subtraction and addition, but he believed that it was too early for the child to do math, otherwise this could negatively affect the study of Latin.
Education
Others noted that he grew up as a gifted child, read a lot, and sciences were given to him without much difficulty. It is interesting that the early years of the future physicist Pascal Blaise resemble the fate of another scientist - Gottfried Leibniz. He also studied the treatises of ancient historians and philosophers, but his father insisted that the learning process was appropriate for the age of the child.
At age 12, Pascal studied ancient languages, and then took up the basics of mathematics. Once, Blaise began to ask his father what geometry was. He explained to him that this is a way to draw the correct figures and establish the appropriate proportions between them. Pascal, impressed by new knowledge, immediately drew a square, triangles and circles on the floor with charcoal, giving them their names.
Blaise sought to find a scientific explanation for everything that surrounded him, even the most mundane processes. For example, when during dinner he heard the sound from the touch of a spoon on earthenware dishes, he touched the dish, after which the sound instantly disappeared. For a long time he tried to find out the nature of this previously unknown process, due to which the famous Treatise on Sounds appeared.
At the age of 14, the hero of our article begins to attend lectures by music theorist and famous mathematician Maren Mersenne, although his father still believes that it is too early for him to engage in exact sciences. It is known that Mersen corresponded with many prominent scholars of our time - Torricelli, Galileo, Gassendi, so Pascal learned a lot from him. He managed to direct the development of the young man in the right direction.
First discoveries
At one of the seminars, Pascal will get acquainted with the geometr Desargues and begin to study his works. They were written in extremely difficult language, so Blaise, drawing inspiration from his works, constantly strove to give mathematical formulas a simplified form.
At 17, he published his first own work. In 1640, his work was published under the title "Experience in the theory of conic sections". He became the main treatise for his further works and studies in the field of geometry. The third lemma contained in it in the future turned into Pascal's theorem, with the help of which canonical sections along five points are constructed.
At the end of that year, he moved to Rouen, the capital of Normandy. His father was working here at that time, the activity of which was monotonous and tedious calculations, which are carried out in a column. It was at that moment that Pascal got the idea to help his parent by creating a summing machine. He began to develop the device in 1642. The scientist turns out an arithmometer according to the principle of an antique taximeter, which looks like a small box with a lot of gears. It allows you to perform calculations with 6-digit numbers, the entire calculation is carried out in a semi-automatic mode.
It may seem surprising, but this invention of him did not bring him any glory. The fact is that at that time tax calculations in France were carried out simultaneously in livery, denier and su, so the appearance of a decimal machine only complicated the whole process. At the same time, Blaise did not give up hope, trying for many years to improve his creation.
The discovery of Pascal played a big role in the future, when at the end of the XVI century France switched to the metric system, and in 1820 the first mechanical calculator Charles Xavier Tom de Colmar was patented. This discovery, which in some key principles repeated the early invention of Pascal, brought its creator fame and honor.
Passion for physics
Physics captivated the hero of our article in 1646, when he learned about the pipe that Torricelli invented. Pascal began to conduct experiments and experiments, trying to prove in practice that Aristotle's hypothesis of "fear of the void" is limited to certain limits.
At the same time, Torricelli became known for his experiments with the tube, which he filled with mercury. Using this device, the Italian physicist sought to prove the existence of atmospheric pressure. As a result, he came to the conclusion that a void forms in a tube dipped in mercury.
Blaise modified and improved this experiment, having come to the conclusion that the upper part of the tube does not contain thin matter, but vapors of a chemical substance or some other substance. He sought to conclude that the column with toxic metal is held in the tube under air pressure. He described the results of his experiments in a treatise entitled "New Experiments Concerning Emptiness."
The law of hydrostatics
Another project by the physicist Pascal was the Treatise on the Equilibrium of Liquids, which he wrote in 1653. In it, he outlined the idea of a hydraulic press, establishing the basic law of hydrostatics. As a result, the French researcher was able to refute the hypotheses that were previously put forward by the ancient Greek scientist and philosopher.
In 1651, a tragedy occurs in the family of the hero of our article - his father dies. After this, sister Blaise Jacqueline, with whom he was especially close and whom he considered his friend, decides to abandon worldly life and goes to the monastery.
Pascal needs to be distracted from the difficulties that he regularly has to face, so he plunges into social life, regularly appears in society. In 1652, real fame and recognition came to him when his summing machine was honored by the Swedish Queen Christina.
The first significant success aroused the physicist Pascal's additional interest in science, as well as fame and social life, in which he now knows a lot. Since then, Blaise often gambles in the company of close friends and acquaintances. Just during the game of dice, he formulates the foundations of probability theory. The calculations made by him a few years later interested Huygens, who in 1657 wrote a treatise On Calculations in Gambling.
Pascal's theorem
One of the key works in the biography of physicist Pascal is the theorem that he formulated by summarizing the data of Papp's theorem.
It was taken as a basis for scientists. The treatise on conic sections has not survived to this day; its contents are known only thanks to the letters of Leibniz, who got acquainted with the original when he came to Paris.
The essence of this theorem is that for a hexagon inscribed in a circle, the intersection points of three pairs of opposite sides are located on one straight line. The same statement is valid for any other conical section, including a parabola, an ellipse, a hyperbola, and even a pair of lines.
Physics research
The greatest success was achieved in physics by Blaise Pascal. Most modern hydraulic devices are developed thanks to this French scientist. The work of hydraulic presses, brake systems, and other similar devices is based on the definition of Pascal's law in physics. The basic law of hydrostatics is based on it. This discovery of Blaise Pascal in physics is formulated as follows:
The pressure produced by a liquid or gas is transmitted to any point without changes in all directions.
It should be noted that the physicist Pascal noted that in this case we are not talking about the pressure produced at different points. This law is also valid for a liquid that is in the field of gravity. This is what Pascal discovered in physics. This law is a logical consequence of the law of conservation of energy, remaining true even for compressible liquids and gases.
What is pressure measured in?
The name of this famous French scientist is one of the units of measure in physics. Pascal is the value in which pressure and mechanical stress are considered.
This name was first introduced into the International System of Units SI in France in 1961. Now you know what is measured in pascals in physics. How is it written? The Russian designation of Pascal in physics is Pa, international - Pa.
Philosophy
In 1654, a mysterious event occurred with the scientist. He himself claimed that it was an insight that came to him before going to bed. Finding himself under the influence of an unconscious stream of thoughts, for some time he was without feelings, and when he came to, he wrote down all the ideas. This work was discovered only after his death.
Illumination radically changed his fate, as Blaise decided to abandon social life. He left Paris to settle in the monastery of Port Royal. He began to lead a harsh lifestyle, constantly prayed, claimed that he felt an elevation of spirit.
During this period of his life he created "Letters to the Provincial", in which he condemns casuistry. The work was published under a pseudonym, caused a real scandal in society. The scientist even risked being arrested for some time, so he was hiding under a false name.
Scientific triumph
In the remaining years, he was engaged in science without interest, although he made another significant discovery. He studied cycloid to forget about toothache. He came to a decision in one night, but at that time he was no longer interested in fame, so he did not begin to tell anyone about this event.
The competition between European scientists was arranged by the Duke de Roanne, who urged thinkers to determine the area of bodies and the center of gravity of the cycloid. The work of Pascal's jury was recognized as the best.
Personal life
Biographers claim that science was Pascal's only passion and love. He led an ascetic lifestyle, was never married and had no children.
It is known that the scientist was in poor health. According to legend, even at the age of 3 he was cursed by a woman who asked for alms. His father believed in witchcraft and magic. He found this woman, forced to save his son from the curse. The damage was carried over to the black cat, but Blaise experienced health problems throughout his life.
The scientist had heart problems, which Pascal himself considered a consequence of the fact that he led an idle lifestyle for a long time. Biographers claim that the hero of our article suffered a whole bunch of diseases - from spinal problems to brain cancer. Doctors advised him to tire less, but he devoted all his time to research and writing. It is believed that he felt as if he would die soon, so he tried to do as much as possible.
Death
The scientist’s health deteriorated every year. He was diagnosed with intestinal tuberculosis.
As a result, he died in 1662 at the age of 39.