Whirling Arm and Its Role in Experimental Research on Fluid Resistance in the Eighteenth Century(<Special Issue>Historical Studies on Scientific and Pedagogical Instruments)

概要

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In the eighteenth century, hydraulic problems, such as problems with fluid resistance, attracted a great deal of attention because of the practical significance of their application. The prominent mathematicians of the time tackled these problems by making the best use of the concepts and techniques of the era's developing classical mechanics, but without yielding any practical results. On the other hand, an emerging group of experimenters tried to find some practical guidelines by partially adopting the current theoretical achievements and complementing them with empirical data. In this process, they could make certain success in establishing themselves as an autonomous discipline. To achieve this success, a particular experimental device called the 'whirling arm' was instrumental, making it possible to measure the force of fluid resistance without resorting to any theoretical suppositions of fluid mechanics. The development of this device prepared a prerequisite step for experimental hydraulics to evolve into an autonomous discipline.
2011-03-31