Description
Physicist’s vertical mercury barometer for measuring atmospheric pressure.Torricelli tube and wooden wall bracket.
A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. The Torricelli tube, as depicted in physics textbooks, is a genuine barometer, but its shape had to be modified to enable it to measure this pressure accurately and to make it transportable. The Fortin barometer, named after its designer, Jean Nicolas Fortin (1750-1831), is a highly accurate, portable cuvette barometer.
Period: 19th century
Circa: 1825-1830
Dimensions: Height: 107cm x Width: 11.7cm x Depth: 2.5cm
The mercury bowl has a movable bottom.
Turning the knurled knob acts on a chamois leather pouch containing the mercury into which the lower end of the barometric tube dips.
The mercury level is visible through a glass cylinder extending from the flexible pocket. The tip of a fixed ivory point materializes the “zero” of the millimeter scale engraved on the upper part of the brass sheath that surrounds the glass tube along its entire length.
A mobile cursor bearing a 1/20 vernier moves along the millimeter scale by means of a rack and pinion controlled by a knurled knob.
Did you know that “normal” atmospheric pressure corresponds to a height of mercury equal to 760mm?
In our International System of Units (SI), pressure is expressed in pascal (Pa).
We usually give atmospheric pressure in hectopascals (hPa).
760 mm of mercury 1013 hPa
| Design Period | Before 1890 |
|---|---|
| Production Period | Unknown |
| Country of Manufacture | France |
| Style | Napoleon III |
| Detailed Condition |
Good This vintage/antique item may have some wear such as scratches and other signs of ageing. |
| Restoration and Damage Details |
Light wear consistent with age and use
|
| Product Code | UQL-1639139 |
| Materials | Brass, Wood |
| Color | Brown |
| Width |
12 cm 4.7 inch |
| Depth |
3 cm 1.2 inch |
| Height |
107 cm 42.1 inch |
| Duties Notice | Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order. |
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