Daniel Bernoulli

Claimed by Brynn McFarland, this is a work in progress!

Personal Life

Daniel Bernoulli was born on February 9, 1700 in Groningen, the Netherlands. He came from a family of distinguished mathematicians, but reportedly was the brightest of three children of the family. While growing up in Switzerland, his relationship with his father gradually deteriorated due to competition in academia.

First studying at the University in Basel, he was later invited to study at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He studied mathematics, business, medicine, anatomy, and botany, eventually earning his Ph.D. in the latter two. Eventually he returned to Basel as a professor of anatomy, botany, and physics.

He made significant contributions to Physics, most notably the Bernoulli Principle, which is used extensively in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics. His contributions were not limited to only Physics though, he has also been called the founder of mathematical economics and was one of the first people to begin work on a kinetic theory of gases.

Contributions to Physics

Hydrodynamica

Bernoulli published Hydrodynamica in 1738, and the title eventually gave rise to the name "hydrodynamics" for the field of fluid dynamics. The full title of the text was "Hydrodynamics, or commentaries on the forces and motions of fluids". In the book, Bernoulli characterizes fluid mechanics according to conservation of energy by examining several examples such as fluid coming out of an opening or fluid flowing through a tube. These examples gave the first adequate theory of the motion of incompressible fluids and also hydrodynamic pressure. In the text he also describes work and efficiency of hydraulic machines, the kinetic theory of gases, and several ideas that would eventually be formulated into the Bernoulli Principle.