Torricelli Tube
name: label: Maker
content: Pixii, Hippolyte
notes: label: Description
content: The Italian scientist, Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647), suggested that the weight of the atmosphere was equal to a column of mercury of about 30 inches, or a column of water of about 34 feet. An apparatus demonstrating this phenomenon was known as a Torricelli tube. This example was purchased from Hippolyte Pixii in Paris circa 1830s, and used by cadets at the U.S. Military Academy. The accompanying jar (made of Pyrex) is a replacement.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: France: Île-de-France, Paris
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.315747
label: accession number
content: 217544
label: catalog number
content: 315747
objectType: label: Object Name
content: torricelli tube
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: glass body with brass top: 15 1/2 in x 7 in; 39.37 cm x 17.78 cm
label: Measurements
content: glass tube: 34 3/4 in; 88.265 cm
label: Measurements
content: glass tube: 32 1/2 in; 82.55 cm
label: Measurements
content: wooden holder of tubes: 34 1/2 in x 3 3/4 in x 7/8 in; 87.63 cm x 9.525 cm x 2.2225 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: bell jar: 14 3/4 in x 6 3/4 in; 37.465 cm x 17.145 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: tubes, mounted: 1 5/8 in x 37 1/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 4.1275 cm x 94.615 cm x 8.89 cm