Famous Inventors Born in August!

Charles Kettering

Date of Birth: August 29, 1876 

American inventor who invented the auto self-starter ignition.

• Electric Cash Register (1906): Invented to simplify sales transactions.
• Credit Approval System: Developed a precursor to modern credit cards.
• Electrical Starting Motor (1911): Revolutionized the automotive industry by developing the first electric starter motor, eliminating the need for hand cranking.
• Leaded Gasoline (1921): Co-developed leaded gasoline to improve engine performance and reduce engine knocking.

• Freon Refrigerant (1928): In collaboration with DuPont, invented Freon, a safer and more efficient refrigerant for air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
• Duco Lacquers and Enamels: Developed the first practical colored paints for mass-produced automobiles, enhancing durability and aesthetic appeal.

• “Bug” Aerial Torpedo: Developed the world’s first aerial missile, contributing to advancements in military technology.

• Two-Stroke Diesel Engines: Pioneered the development of practical, lightweight two-stroke diesel engines, transforming the locomotive and heavy equipment industries.

• Head of Research at General Motors (1920-1947)
• Co-founded Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.), furthering advancements in automotive electrical systems.

 Guillaume Amontons

Date of Birth: August 31, 1663

Famous French physicist.

• Barometer and Thermometer Improvements (1695): Enhanced these instruments for maritime use.
• Hygrometer (1687): Developed a more accurate tool for measuring humidity.
• Optical Telegraph: Demonstrated an early version of optical communication.
• Clepsydra (Water Clock): Proposed its use for timekeeping on ships.

Thermodynamics

• Pressure-Temperature Relationship: Investigated how gas pressure increases with temperature, leading towards the concept of absolute zero, though his estimate (-240°C) was not accurate.
• Hot Air Engine (1699): Invented the “fire mill,” a precursor to the Stirling engine, utilizing the expansion of heated air to generate power.

Friction

• Laws of Friction (1699): Rediscovered and formulated the laws of friction originally noted by Leonardo da Vinci, which were later verified by Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. His laws are:
• The force of friction is directly proportional to the applied load.
• The force of friction is independent of the apparent area of contact.
• Kinetic friction is independent of the sliding velocity (added by Coulomb).

Thermodynamics and Absolute Zero

• Gas Law Development: Established that gas pressure increases with temperature, contributing to the foundation of gas laws and the concept of absolute zero.

Early Life and Education

• Self-Education: Despite being mostly deaf and not attending university, he studied mathematics, physical sciences, and celestial mechanics.

Hermann von Helmholtz

Date of Birth: August 31, 1821

Famous German physicist.

• Conservation of Energy (1847): Published “Über die Erhaltung der Kraft” (On the Conservation of Force), demonstrating that energy is conserved in muscle movement, challenging the dominant vitalism paradigm.
• Heat Death of the Universe: Alongside William Thomson and William Rankine, popularized the idea that the universe would eventually reach a state of no thermodynamic free energy.

Fluid Dynamics

• Helmholtz’s Theorems: Made significant contributions to vortex dynamics in inviscid fluids, important in fluid dynamics studies.

Sensory Physiology and Psychology

• Human Vision and Audition: Pioneered the scientific study of how physical stimuli correspond to human perceptions, laying the groundwork for psychophysics.
• Empirical Theories: Developed theories on depth perception, color vision, and motion perception, fundamental to sensory physiology.
• Nerve Signal Speed (1849): Measured the speed of nerve signals, challenging the belief that they were immeasurably fast.

Ophthalmology

• Ophthalmoscope (1851): Invented the ophthalmoscope, revolutionizing the examination of the inner eye.
• Handbuch der Physiologischen Optik: His comprehensive work on the physiology of optics became a fundamental reference in the field.

Acoustics

• Sensations of Tone (1863): Studied the physics of sound perception, influencing musicology and acoustics.
• Helmholtz Resonator: Invented to identify the various frequencies in complex sounds, significant in the study of acoustics.

Electromagnetism

• Electrical Oscillations (1869-1871): Investigated electrical oscillations and contributed to the understanding of electromagnetism.
• Helmholtz Equation: Developed an important equation in electromagnetism, though his student Heinrich Hertz became more famous for demonstrating electromagnetic radiation.

Philosophy of Science

• Philosophy of Perception: Explored the relationship between the laws of perception and the laws of nature, contributing to the philosophy of science and aesthetics.

Hydrodynamic Stability

• Research Contributions: Made significant contributions to the study of hydrodynamic stability, impacting fluid mechanics.