Blaise Pascal

1. Blaise Pascal Brett Foran 8M1

2. Pascal’s Life Blaise Pascal was born on June 19, 1623 in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France and died on August 19, 1662 in Paris. Pascal’s mother died when he was three and he was raised and educated by his mathematician father Etienne. Described as a young mathematical genius Pascal, by age 16, had researched and written on the subject of projective geometry and the the theory of probabilities. In 1964 Pascal abandoned maths for religion and wrote a lot of religious books around this time. Pascal died of abdominal problems and his last words were “may God never abandon me”. He was buried in the cemetery of Saint-Etienne-Du-Mont. In honour of Pascal, his name has been given to a unit of pressure, to a computing language and to Pascal’s wager and Pascal’s triangle.

3. Pascal’s Inventions, Theories and Studies • Calculator A basic machine for adding and subtracting • Pascal’s Wager A theory on probabilities and an argument for the belief of God • Pascal’s Triangle A mathematical pattern • Hydraulic press Invented the hydraulic press using fluid pressure to multiply force • Barometer Identified that the level of mercury in a barometer is determined by the increase or decrease of atmospheric pressure • Vacuum & Pressure Extensive research into the weight and density of air

4. Pascal’s Triangle • A geometric arrangement of binomial coefficients in a triangular shape. • It is an important set of numbers in probability and statistics and strongly influenced the development of modern economics. • 1 • 1 • 1 2 1 • 3 3 1 • 1 4 6 4 1 • 1 5 10 10 5 1 • 6 15 20 15 6 1 • 1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

5. Pascal’s Calculator • The first mechanical calculator was invented by Blaise Pascal. • It was for assisting his father’s workload as a tax commissioner. • He began work on his first calculator in 1642, at the age of 19 and over the next ten years produced fifty prototypes but only sold about a dozen machines. • They could only be used for adding and subtracting. • The Pascaline (1645) was a decimal machine which was not effective in the French currency system. • It is the basis for today’s calculators and computer historians recognise his contribution to their field.

6. Hydraulic Press • In 1653 Pascal undertook several experiments on the pressure exerted by gases and liquids (barometer, hydraulic press and the syringe). • The hydraulic press depends on Pascal’s principle: the pressure through a closed system is constant and equal in all directions. • The hydraulic press is used today in a range of industries e.g car jack where the simple pumping action of a person and the mechanical advantage gained through the hydraulic press can lift the weight of a car. • If we combine a hydraulic press and a calculator i.e physical science and mathematics we can achieve the measurement of mass, this is the basis of a set of industrial scales.

7. Bibliography • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlaisePascal • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27scalculator • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27striangle • http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/lookup/encyclopedia/bl/ Blaise_Pascal • http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/ lectures/lecture20/pascal • http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/pascal