Inventions of the 1500’s – 1600’s By: Samantha Sawyer and Mackenzie Day

There were over ten well known inventions during the sixteenth century There were over ten well known inventions during the sixteenth century. The sixteenth century was a time of great change and the beginning of the modern era of science. This is when religion, politics, and literature were refined. Copernicus published the theory, that the planets revolved around the sun, which changed the way people thought of the universe and all of science.

Flush Toilets In 1500 the first flush toilets appeared, however who invented them is unknown.

Graphite Pencils The first graphite pencils were invented in 1565 when a huge graphite mine was discovered in England. They were invented by Conrad Gesner.

Water Thermometer Unlike the common thermometers we use today, this one told the temperature using only water. It was invented by Galileo Galilei in 1593. The water moved up and down the bulb as the temperature changed.

During the seventeenth century, science was systematized and recognized. Before the seventeenth century, scientists were known as natural philosophers, since the study of science did not exist to the population. Such scientists became recognized, as Galileo Galilei, Blaise Pascal, and Isaac Newton. At the end of the seventeenth century the scientific revolution hit a curb.

Submarine The first submarine was constructed by Cornelis van Drebbel, of Holland, in 1620. It was made to service King James I of England. The submarine could be operated by twelve rowers and was capable of going a depth of twelve feet.

Adding Machine The adding machine was invented in the year 1642, by a nineteen year old French boy named, Blaise Pascal. It was invented to help his dad who worked as a clerk. The original adding machine consisted of a wooden box with sixteen dials on it and could only add and subtract.

Cuckoo Clock The first Cuckoo Clock was made in 1660 by an unknown person from the Black Forest Region of Germany.

Reflecting Telescope While James Gregory invented the first reflecting telescope in 1663, Isaac Newton’s design is still commonly used. It was designed in the year 1668. Newton's telescope uses a concave mirror to gather light, instead of a simple lens that produces false color, because of the diffusion of light. To use the telescope, the viewer looks through an eyepiece on the side of the tube. The light path is reflected off of the primary mirror and a flat secondary mirror at the entrance to the tube near the top.

Pressure Cooker Denis Papin invented the pressure cooker, or steam digester as it was known, in the year 1679. Even though his design was not practical and needed to be improved numerous times, it did lead to the basic design for a steam engine.

Steam Pump The first steam pump was developed in 1698 by Englishmen, Thomas Savory. It was used to pump the water out of coal mines. He patented his invention under the name “Miner’s Friend” and the patent was good for any other engine based on the use of fire. However, his invention was not quite as ingenious as he thought it to be, since it could not work with the high pressure and was not efficient. Savory’s steam pump was little used and did not withstand any efforts towards improvement, so it was soon abandoned.

Bibliography Bellis, Mary. "17th Century Timeline 1600 - 1699." About.com. The New York Times Company. 27 Apr. 2009 <http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/Seventeenth_2.ht m>. "Invention of the Pencil." Zoom Inventors and Inventions. Enchanted Learning. 27 Apr. 2009 <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/p/pencil.s html>. "Thomas Savery." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Savery>.