Francisco jose de caldas biography channel

Without just having adequate means of work, in "darkness" surrounding to America, according to its own expression, he did research and discoveries that surprised the men as illustrious as Mutis and Humboldt, who was friend and colleague.

Francisco jose de caldas biography channel 7

After studying in his native land, he moved to Santa Fe and graduated as lawyer just to give taste to his family, as he soon returned to Popayan and decided to dedicate himself to what most interested him: astronomy, mathematics and the physical sciences.

In he had devoted to trade in clothing in Quito, La Plata and Timana, opportunity that took the opportunity to determine the geographical position of the places he visited and for observations of nature and of the uses and customs of different peoples.

His basic team consisted of a compass, a barometer and a thermometer. When not getting the instruments he needed he built them: manufactured a gnomon, a sundial and other measuring instruments.

Francisco jose de caldas biography channel

After various experiments observed that "distilled water, boiling temperature, is proportional to atmospheric pressure", new physical law that allowed him to measure the heights through new procedures and that it would be later used by Humboldt, who surprisingly was forgotten in this case inventor.

He called hypsometer, instrument he invented, used to measure the altitude of a location, noting the temperature that reaches this site the water when it starts to boil. In he published the article "The true height of the Cerro de Guadalupe" in mail curious and commercial.