| |
| Jean Bernard Léon Foucault |
| (9/18/1819 – 2/11/1868) |
| |
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault‘s name is primarily associated with the pendulum experiment which he performed to demonstrate the earth’s rotary motion.
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault | | Despite the fundamental importance of this experiment, his contributions to the fields of optics and astronomy are of much greater significance. He proved by means of experiments, for example, that the velocity of light in water is less than in air. He invented a method of chemically silver-plating glass surfaces, almost at the same time as Justus von Liebig. And the technique which he developed for testing the quality of objective lenses and mirrors for astronomical telescopes was the standard procedure used for a good century. |
| |
| For the kind provision of photographic material, we would like to thank NASA, the Physics Institute of the University of Montpellier (France), the Federal Physical- Technical Institute (Germany), the Museum of Physics of the University of Coimbra (Portugal), and the firm Raytheon Marine GmbH. |
| |
| Further Information on Carl Zeiss: |
| |
|