Magdeburg hemispheres

1st half of the 19th century Jagiellonian University Museum Collegium Maius The Magdeburg hemispheres are a device used for demonstrating the existence of atmospheric pressure. Two metal hemispheres with ground edges are brought into contact with each other and sealed, and then air is pumped out of them. The hemispheres are pressed against each other by atmospheric pressure and tearing them apart requires the application of considerable force. In the famous experiment carried out by Otto von Guericke (1602–1686) in 1654 in Magdeburg, two hemispheres with a diameter of 42 cm were used. It took 16 horses to tear apart the sphere comprised of them. Inventory number: 4876; 881/V https://muzea.malopolska.pl/en/objects-list/2758