Finding the Speed of Light: The 1676 Discovery That Dazzled the World
Mark Weston$15.26
$17.95
More than two centuries before Einstein, using a crude telescope and a mechanical timepiece, Danish astronomer Ole Romer measured the speed of light with astounding accuracy. How was he able to do this when most scientists didn't even believe that light traveled? Like many paradigm-shattering discoveries, Romer's was accidental. Night after night he was timing the disappearance and reappearance of Jupiter's moon Io behind the huge, distant planet. Eventually he realized that the discrepancies in his measurements could have only one explanation: Light had a speed, and it took longer to reach Earth when Earth was farther from Jupiter. All he needed then to calculate light's speed was some fancy geometry.
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Published: 03/12/2019
ISBN: 9780884485452
Pages: 32
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 11.20w x 0.40d
Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2019 pg. 163
School Library Journal 06/01/2019 pg. 94
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2019 - Recommended, Satisfactory
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 504184 / Finding the Speed of Light: The 1676 Discovery That Dazzled the World
Reading Level: 5.1 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 1