HISTORY AND METODOLOGY OF VACUUM PHYSICS
PART II. THE DISCOVERY OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE „ABHORS VACUUM” MYTH
Based on extensive documentation and a rigorous selection of the
bibliography, the paper presents the main facts and historical moments that led
to the discovery of atmospheric pressure and vacuum in 1643. The first
experiment showed that actual vacuum production was monitored and carried
out in 1641 by Gasparo Berti, who designed and tested the first water
barometer. The discovery of atmospheric pressure and vacuum favored the
invention of the mercury barometer in 1644, the air pump in 1654 and
gunpowder engine in 1678. The paper shows the contributions of Galileo
Galilei, Evangelista Torricelli, Blaise Pascal and Otto von Guericke to dispel the
myth ,,horror vacuum” and founding scientific bases of vacuum physics.
Keywords: abhors vacuum, vacuum force error, space vacuum,
atmospheric pressure, barometer, air pump, water pump, gunpowder engine
Cuvinte cheie: oroare de vid, forţa de oroare a vidului, spaţiu vid,
presiune atmosferică, barometru, pompă de aer, pompă de apă, motor cu praf
de puşcă
