Joseph Plateau
Encyclopedia
Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (Bruxelles, 14 October 1801 – Ghent
, 15 September 1883) was a Belgian
physicist
. He was the first person to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this he used counter rotating disks with repeating drawn images in small increments of motion on one and regularly spaced slits in the other. He called this device of 1832 the phenakistoscope
.
, was a talented flower
painter. According to , at the age of six the young Joseph Plateau was already able to read, and this made him a child prodigy
in those times. While attending the primary schools, he was particularly impressed by a lesson of physics
: enchanted by the seen experiments, he promised himself to penetrate their secrets sooner or later. He used to spend his school holidays in Marche-Les-Dames
, with his uncle and his family: his cousin and playfellow was Auguste Payen, who later became an architect
and the principal designer of the Belgian railways. At the age of fourteen he lost his father and mother: the trauma caused by this loss made him fall ill.
On August 27, 1840 he married Augustine–Thérèse–Aimée–Fanny Clavareau: they had a son a year later, in 1841. His daughter Alice Plateau married Gustaaf Van der Mensbrugghe in 1871, who became his collaborator and later his first biographer.
Fascinated by the persistence of luminous impressions on the retina
, he performed an experiment in which he gazed directly into the sun
for 25 seconds. Consequently, he lost his eyesight later in his life. He died in Ghent
.
, he studied at the University of Liège
(Liège), where he graduated as a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences in 1829.
In 1827 he became a teacher of mathematics at the "Atheneum" school in Brussels.
In 1835, he was appointed Professor of experimental physics in Ghent University
.
In 1829 Joseph Plateau submitted his doctoral thesis to his mentor Adolphe Quetelet
for advice. It contained only 27 pages, but formulated a great number of fundamental conclusions. It contained the first results of his research into the effect of colours on the retina (duration, intensity and colour), his mathematical research into the intersections of revolving curves (locus
), the observation of the distortion of moving images, and the reconstruction of distorted images through counter revolving discs (he dubbed these anorthoscopic discs).
In 1832, Plateau invented an early stroboscopic
device, the "phenakistoscope
", the first device to give the illusion of a moving image. It consisted of two disks, one with small equidistant radial windows, through which the viewer could look, and another containing a sequence of images. When the two disks rotated at the correct speed, the synchronization of the windows and the images created an animated effect. The projection of stroboscopic photographs, creating the illusion of motion, eventually led to the development of cinema
.
Plateau also studied the phenomena of capillary action
and surface tension
(Statique expérimentale et théorique des liquides soumis aux seules forces moléculaires, 1873). The mathematical problem
of existence of a minimal surface
with a given boundary is named for him. He conducted extensive studies of soap films and formulated Plateau's laws
which describe the structures formed by such films in foams.
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, 15 September 1883) was a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. He was the first person to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this he used counter rotating disks with repeating drawn images in small increments of motion on one and regularly spaced slits in the other. He called this device of 1832 the phenakistoscope
Phenakistoscope
The phenakistoscope was an early animation device that used the persistence of vision principle to create an illusion of motion.-History:...
.
Biography
His father, born in TournaiTournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, was a talented flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
painter. According to , at the age of six the young Joseph Plateau was already able to read, and this made him a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
in those times. While attending the primary schools, he was particularly impressed by a lesson of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
: enchanted by the seen experiments, he promised himself to penetrate their secrets sooner or later. He used to spend his school holidays in Marche-Les-Dames
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
, with his uncle and his family: his cousin and playfellow was Auguste Payen, who later became an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and the principal designer of the Belgian railways. At the age of fourteen he lost his father and mother: the trauma caused by this loss made him fall ill.
On August 27, 1840 he married Augustine–Thérèse–Aimée–Fanny Clavareau: they had a son a year later, in 1841. His daughter Alice Plateau married Gustaaf Van der Mensbrugghe in 1871, who became his collaborator and later his first biographer.
Fascinated by the persistence of luminous impressions on the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
, he performed an experiment in which he gazed directly into the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
for 25 seconds. Consequently, he lost his eyesight later in his life. He died in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
.
Academic career
Born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, he studied at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
(Liège), where he graduated as a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences in 1829.
In 1827 he became a teacher of mathematics at the "Atheneum" school in Brussels.
In 1835, he was appointed Professor of experimental physics in Ghent University
Ghent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
.
Research
Adolphe Quetelet
Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist. He founded and directed the Brussels Observatory and was influential in introducing statistical methods to the social sciences...
for advice. It contained only 27 pages, but formulated a great number of fundamental conclusions. It contained the first results of his research into the effect of colours on the retina (duration, intensity and colour), his mathematical research into the intersections of revolving curves (locus
Locus (mathematics)
In geometry, a locus is a collection of points which share a property. For example a circle may be defined as the locus of points in a plane at a fixed distance from a given point....
), the observation of the distortion of moving images, and the reconstruction of distorted images through counter revolving discs (he dubbed these anorthoscopic discs).
In 1832, Plateau invented an early stroboscopic
Stroboscope
A stroboscope, also known as a strobe, is an instrument used to make a cyclically moving object appear to be slow-moving, or stationary. The principle is used for the study of rotating, reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating objects...
device, the "phenakistoscope
Phenakistoscope
The phenakistoscope was an early animation device that used the persistence of vision principle to create an illusion of motion.-History:...
", the first device to give the illusion of a moving image. It consisted of two disks, one with small equidistant radial windows, through which the viewer could look, and another containing a sequence of images. When the two disks rotated at the correct speed, the synchronization of the windows and the images created an animated effect. The projection of stroboscopic photographs, creating the illusion of motion, eventually led to the development of cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Plateau also studied the phenomena of capillary action
Capillary action
Capillary action, or capilarity, is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity where liquid spontanously rise in a narrow space such as between the hair of a paint-brush, in a thin tube, or in porous material such as paper or in some non-porous material such as liquified carbon fiber, or in a...
and surface tension
Surface tension
Surface tension is a property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force. It is revealed, for example, in floating of some objects on the surface of water, even though they are denser than water, and in the ability of some insects to run on the water surface...
(Statique expérimentale et théorique des liquides soumis aux seules forces moléculaires, 1873). The mathematical problem
Plateau's problem
In mathematics, Plateau's problem is to show the existence of a minimal surface with a given boundary, a problem raised by Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1760. However, it is named after Joseph Plateau who was interested in soap films. The problem is considered part of the calculus of variations...
of existence of a minimal surface
Minimal surface
In mathematics, a minimal surface is a surface with a mean curvature of zero.These include, but are not limited to, surfaces of minimum area subject to various constraints....
with a given boundary is named for him. He conducted extensive studies of soap films and formulated Plateau's laws
Plateau's laws
Plateau's laws describe the structure of soap films. These laws were formulated in the 19th century by the Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau from his experimental observations.Plateau's laws state:# Soap films are made of entire smooth surfaces....
which describe the structures formed by such films in foams.
See also
- Plateau's lawsPlateau's lawsPlateau's laws describe the structure of soap films. These laws were formulated in the 19th century by the Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau from his experimental observations.Plateau's laws state:# Soap films are made of entire smooth surfaces....
- Plateau's problemPlateau's problemIn mathematics, Plateau's problem is to show the existence of a minimal surface with a given boundary, a problem raised by Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1760. However, it is named after Joseph Plateau who was interested in soap films. The problem is considered part of the calculus of variations...
- Plateau–Rayleigh instability
- Soap bubbleSoap bubbleA soap bubble is a thin film of soapy water enclosing air, that forms a hollow sphere with an iridescent surface. Soap bubbles usually last for only a few seconds before bursting, either on their own or on contact with another object. They are often used for children's enjoyment, but they are also...