TED-Ed: How taking a bath led to Archimedes' principle - Mark Salata

The video explores moments of perplexity leading to discoveries, focusing on Archimedes, a Greek mathematician. Archimedes was tasked by the king of Sicily to determine if a goldsmith had cheated him by mixing silver into a gold crown. Archimedes discovered the principle of water displacement while taking a bath, realizing it could measure the crown's volume. By comparing the crown's density to pure gold, he confirmed the goldsmith's deceit. This method, now known as Archimedes' principle, demonstrates how water displacement can measure an object's volume.

What was the main reason the king of Sicily approached Archimedes?

• To design a new palace

• To verify the purity of a gold crown

• To calculate the distance to the moon

• To invent a new weapon

What did Archimedes notice while taking a bath that led to his famous discovery?

• The sound of the water

• The water level rising and overflowing

• The color of the water

• The temperature of the water

What does the term 'Eureka' mean in ancient Greek?

• I made it

• I lost it

• I found it

• I broke it

How did Archimedes determine the volume of the irregularly shaped crown?

• By melting it down

• By weighing it

• By submerging it in water and measuring the displaced water

• By measuring its dimensions

What is Archimedes' principle primarily used for today?

• Predicting weather patterns

• Measuring the volume of irregular objects

• Calculating the speed of light

• Determining the age of artifacts