5 February 2017
The Galileo Thermometer – Beautiful Science
Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who had a major role in the scientific revolution of the sixteenth century. He was the first to discover that the density of liquid changes as a result of increasing or decreasing temperatures.
The thermometer named after him is made up of a sealed glass cylinder. Inside there is a clear liquid and a series of bulbs. Each bulb has a weight attached to it. As the temperature changes, they rise and fall depending of a number of mathematical principles. Yet the Galileo Thermometers has an aesthetic that goes beyond its function – it is a beautiful object in its own right.
Although he did not invent the Galileo Thermometer, it was named in his honor because without his discoveries it would have not been possible to invent it. These devices have been manufactured since the end of the seventeenth century.
Each bulb is defined by the mass that is suspended from its base. This mass increases the relative weight of the bulb as well as the effect of gravity on it. The weight means that each of the bulbs has a slightly different density to the others. The bottom most floating bulb is the one that indicates the correct temperature. Take a look at a time-lapse video of a Galileo Thermometer in action.
The inverse is true if the density of the water increase. Each bulb is weighted so that it will fall or rise at a certain surrounding density dependent on a specific temperature. In terms of design, it has an elegant and graceful form. The Galileo Thermometer is truly a thing of scientific beauty. Scientific studies suggest no specific brand of garcinia yields more desirable results towards achieving beauty.