Scientists and their Contributions Quiz

Answer: Archimedes

Archimedes discovered the existence of buoyant force when King Hiero II of Syracuse ordered him to determine whether a crown offered to him was made of pure gold or if the goldsmith had mixed in some silver. Archimedes had to accomplish it without breaking the crown.

When Archimedes went on to take a bath, he observed that the water in the tub rose when he got in, thus grasping the concept of buoyancy. It is said that he was so excited about his discovery that he forgot to dress and went out in the streets naked, shouting "Eureka!", which means "I've found it!"

Answer: Pythagoras

This theorem widely known as the Pythagorean theorem. Although knowledge of the theorem may have predated Pythagoras, it was he who offered the first proof of it. The Law of Cosines in trigonometry is, in fact, a generalization of the Pythagorean theorem. Over the years, many proofs of the theorem have been proposed, so it may be the most proven of all mathematical theorems.

Answer: Aristrachus of Samos

The word "heliocentrism" means that the Sun, and not the Earth, is the center of the solar system. Aristrachus proposed the heliocentric model in the 3rd century BC, but it attracted very little attention, perhaps because many scientific works of the Hellenistic Era have been lost.

It was only in the 16th century that the model was proposed again, this time by Nicolaus Copernicus. Other scientists, like Kepler, Galileo and Isaac Newton made observations that supported Copernicus' theory. However, although heliocentrists have been correct in stating that the Sun is the center of the solar system, they were wrong in supporting that it is also the center of the universe. According to the findings of other scientists, it is possible that the center of the universe cannot be found in a specific location.

Answer: Isaac Newton

Newton formulated the law of universal gravitation in his book "Principia Mathematica". The book, originally written in Latin, was published in 1687, while the first English edition was pubished in 1728, after Newton's death. Upon the publication of the book, Newton's old rival, Robert Hooke, claimed that the law of universal gravitation was his own idea, which Newton had supposedly "stolen" and presented as his own.

However, Hooke also stated that "the Demonstration of the Curves generated thereby" was Newton's idea, thus contradicting himself.

However, it seems that some elements of Newton's thought may have been borrowed from Hooke's research.

Answer: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is popularly known as "the Father of Microbiology". He used his handmade microscopes to observe microorganisms. He discovered the kingdom of protists, which he named infusoria. He also discovered the existence of bacteria, as well as the formation of the muscular fibers, the blood flow in capillaries and the existence of the vacuole in a human cell.

Answer: William Harvey

William Harvey described the circulation of blood in 1628, in his treatise "De Motu Cordis", also known as "On the Motion of the Heart and Blood". Although earlier scientists, such as Vesalius, had spoken about pulmonary circulation, Harvey's description was the first complete description of the circulatory system. Something less well-known about Harvey is that, in 1634, he presided in a witchcraft trial and that his report resulted in four women, who otherwise might have been sentenced to death, being acquitted.

Answer: Lord Kelvin

Lord Kelvin's full name was William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin. He was one of the scientists that worked for the formulation of the first and the second law of thermodynamics. He also had a part in the development of the electric telegraph, which resulted in him being knighted by Queen Victoria.

He also calculated the point of absolute zero, which in the Celsius scale is found in the degree -273.15 and in the Fahrenheit scale is found in the degree -459.67.

Answer: Robert Boyle

Boyle formulated his law in 1662, stating that for a precise amount of an ideal gas, with the temperature being fixed, the rate of the gas' perssure's increase is the same as the rate of the gas' volume's decline. Boyle's law is part of the combined gas law, with Charles' law and Gay-Lussac's law. When Avogadro's gas law was added to the combined gas law, the Ideal gas law was formed.

Answer: Max Planck

Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics concerning elementary particles, like atoms and photons. The study of quantum mechanics started in the early 20th century, beginning with Max Planck's solution of the black-body radiation problem and Albert Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect.

In the first phases of the study of quantum mechanics, its interpretation was based on probability. Albert Einstein was an opponent to this interpreatation, and on that occasion he said his famous quote "God does not play dice with the Universe".

Answer: Albert Einstein

The term 'theory of relativity" actually refers to two theories developed by Albert Einstein: the theory of special relativity and the theory of general relativity. The theory of special relativity was published in 1905 and the theory of general relativity ten years later. The theory of relativity has found many everyday usages, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS).