. 24/7 Space News .
TIME AND SPACE
Scribbles found to be Leonardo da Vinci's earliest notes on laws of friction
by Brooks Hays
Cambridge, England (UPI) Jul 22, 2016


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Scribbled pages in a notebook of Leonardo da Vinci, previously dismissed as nonsense, have been revealed as the polymath's earliest musings on the laws of friction.

Leonardo is widely considered the founder of tribology, a branch of mechanical engineering and materials science that deals with the principles of friction.

Now, scientists have a better understanding of when Leonardo first began to understand the laws of friction. In the years following these early scribbles, Leonardo would expand on the role of friction in engineering and the development of machines.

The significance of the scribbles was discovered by Ian Hutchings, a professor engineering at the University of Cambridge.

"The sketches and text show Leonardo understood the fundamentals of friction in 1493," Hutchings said in a news release.

Art historians had previously dismissed the scribbles as nonsense, focusing instead on the significance of a sketch of a woman some suggest is Helen of Troy. Beneath the woman figure is a quote: "cosa bella mortal passa e non dura," or "mortal beauty passes and does not last."

Next to his thoughts on the principles of friction are a series of sketched diagrams, one depicting a pulley system with a series of blocks supporting a rope tied to a heavy weight.

"He knew that the force of friction acting between two sliding surfaces is proportional to the load pressing the surfaces together and that friction is independent of the apparent area of contact between the two surfaces," Hutchings said.

Until now, science historians have credited French scientist Guillaume Amontons with first describing the laws of friction -- 200 years after Leonardo first put them on paper.

"Leonardo's 20-year study of friction, which incorporated his empirical understanding into models for several mechanical systems, confirms his position as a remarkable and inspirational pioneer of tribology," Hutchings concluded.

Hutchings' analysis of Leonardo's early ideas on friction is detailed in a new paper, published this week in the journal Wear.

Leonardo's groundbreaking notebook is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Understanding Time and Space






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
TIME AND SPACE
Unconventional quasiparticles predicted in conventional crystals
Princeton NJ (SPX) Jul 22, 2016
An international team of researchers has predicted the existence of several previously unknown types of quantum particles in materials. The particles - which belong to the class of particles known as fermions - can be distinguished by several intrinsic properties, such as their responses to applied magnetic and electric fields. In several cases, fermions in the interior of the material show thei ... read more


TIME AND SPACE
Asteroid that formed moon's Imbrium Basin may have been protoplanet-sized

Russian and US engineers plan manned moon mission

SSTL and Goonhilly announce partnership and a call for lunar orbit payloads

Taiwan to make lunar lander for NASA moon-mining mission

TIME AND SPACE
Digging deeper into Mars

NASA's Viking Data Lives on, Inspires 40 Years Later

Opportunity Rover wrapping up work within Marathon Valley

NASA Mars Rover Can Choose Laser Targets on Its Own

TIME AND SPACE
Russia, US Discuss Lunar Station for Mars Mission

Disney theme park in Shanghai nears a million visitors

NASA Sails Full-Speed Ahead in Solar System Exploration

Sensor Technology Could Revolutionize What You Sleep On

TIME AND SPACE
China to expand int'l astronauts exchange

China's Agreement with United Nations to Help Developing Countries Get Access to Space

Chinese tracking ship Yuanwang-7 starts maiden voyage

Chinese mega-telescope obtains data on 7 million stars

TIME AND SPACE
Dream Chaser Spacecraft on Track to Supply Cargo to ISS

Russia launches ISS-bound cargo ship

New Crew Members, Including NASA Biologist, Launch to Space Station

Russian New Soyuz-MS Spacecraft Docks With ISS for First Time

TIME AND SPACE
India earned Rs 230 crore through satellite launch services in FY16

US Plan to Diversify Expendable Space Launch Vehicles Being Questioned

Intelsat 33e arrives at the Spaceport for Arianespace's August launch with Ariane 5

The rise of commercial spaceports

TIME AND SPACE
Alien Solar System Boasts Tightly Spaced Planets, Unusual Orbits

First atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets reveals rocky worlds

Atmospheric chemistry on paper

Surface Composition Determines Planet's Temperature and Habitability

TIME AND SPACE
An accelerated pipeline to open materials research

HawkEye 360 brings space-based radio frequency mapping and analytics to new applications

A third of U.S. adults say they'd be enthusiastic about a microchip implanted in brain

NASA Establishes Institute to Explore New Ways to Protect Astronauts









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.