🌡️ Fortin Barometer – Precision in Air Pressure
👨🔬 Who was Jean Fortin?
Jean Fortin was a French scientist and instrument maker in the 18th century. He improved upon Torricelli’s design and developed the Fortin barometer—a more accurate and adjustable instrument to measure atmospheric pressure.
🧪 Construction and Working of Fortin Barometer
The Fortin barometer consists of a long glass tube filled with mercury, inverted into a mercury reservoir (cistern). It has two special features:
- 🔧 An **adjustable leather cistern** with an ivory pointer to ensure a fixed mercury level
- 📏 A **vernier scale** for precise measurement of mercury height
Before taking a reading, the screw is turned to make the mercury level touch the ivory pointer tip. The vernier scale is then used to take an accurate reading of the mercury column.
📊 Comparison: Fortin vs Torricelli Barometer
- Torricelli’s Barometer: Simple design, no adjustments, less precise
- Fortin’s Barometer: Adjustable base + vernier scale = more accurate
- Torricelli: Introduced the concept of atmospheric pressure
- Fortin: Improved measurement accuracy and reliability
🎯 Test Yourself with These Puzzles!
🔍 Puzzle 1:
Who invented the improved barometer with vernier and cistern?
🔍 Puzzle 2:
What is the purpose of the ivory pointer in the Fortin barometer?
🔍 Puzzle 3:
What makes the Fortin barometer more accurate than the Torricelli barometer?
🔍 Puzzle 4:
If the mercury level in the barometer reads 748.5 mm, what kind of weather is likely?
🔍 Puzzle 5:
What is the normal atmospheric pressure at sea level in mmHg?
🔍 Puzzle 6:
Why should the barometer tube be vertical while taking reading?
🔍 Puzzle 7:
Convert 760 mmHg into Pascal. (Take 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa)
🔍 Puzzle 8:
Why is mercury used in barometers instead of water?
