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Archimedes: Quick Facts

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News •

Scientists shrink Archimedesā€™ screw to the size of a single molecule • Nov. 1, 2026, 6:57 AM ET (Science Daily)
Archimedes screw inspires single-molecule motor powered by electric current • Oct. 23, 2026, 12:40 PM ET (Phys.org)

Facts

Born c.287 BCE ā€¢ Syracuse ā€¢ Italy
Died 212 BCE or c.211 BCE ā€¢ Syracuse ā€¢ Italy
Inventions Archimedes screw
Notable Works ā€œMethod Concerning Mechanical Theoremsā€
Subjects Of Study Archimedesā€™ principle ā€¢ hydrostatics ā€¢ pi ā€¢ positional numeral system ā€¢ sphere ā€¢ surface ā€¢ lever ā€¢ volume

Photos and Videos

Portrait of Archimedes by Giuseppe Nogari shows an elderly man with white hair and beard, holding a compass, gazing downward, set against a dark background.
A red sphere fits perfectly inside a transparent blue cylinder, illustrating Archimedes' relationship between the surface area and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder, with labeled formulas and dimensions.
Fields Medal
Map of the Greco-Roman world highlighting the birthplaces of notable ancient mathematicians, marked with the pi symbol and labeled with their names. Cities such as Athens, Alexandria, Syracuse, and Miletus are shown around the Mediterranean, with modern country boundaries outlined. An inset provides detail for the region of Greece and western Anatolia.
Archimedes' method of angle trisection.
Archimedes' parabolic segment calculation
spiral of Archimedes
How does an Archimedes screw work?
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