Léon Foucault
Léon Foucault | |
|---|---|
Photograph by Bertall & Cie | |
| Born | Jean Bernard Léon Foucault 18 September 1819 |
| Died | 11 February 1868 (aged 48) |
| Resting place | Montmartre Cemetery |
| Alma mater | University of Paris |
| Known for | Foucault knife-edge test Foucault pendulum Foucault's currents Foucault's gyroscope Foucault's measurements of the speed of light Glan–Foucault prism Diurnal motion Gyroscope Catadioptric systems Silvering process |
| Awards | Copley Medal (1855) FRS (1864) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Paris Observatory |
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault (UK: /ʒɒ̃ ˈbɛərnɑːr ˌleɪɒ̃ ˈfuːkoʊ/, US: /ˌʒɒ̃ bɛərˈnɑːr leɪˌɒ̃ fuːˈkoʊ/; French: [ʒɑ̃ bɛʁnaʁ leɔ̃ fuko]; 18 September 1819 – 11 February 1868) was a French physicist best known for his demonstration of the Foucault pendulum, a device demonstrating the effect of Earth's rotation. He also made an early measurement of the speed of light, discovered eddy currents, and is credited with naming the gyroscope.