BLAISE PASCAL

~ a brief biographical sketch by ~Carl J. Wenning

Blaise Pascal

• French mathematician, philosopher, and religious figure

• Born: Clermont on June 19, 1623

• Died: Paris on August 19, 1662

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Most notable accomplishments

• Pascal’s triangle for binomial expansion

• Pascal’s principle - when there is an increase in pressure at any point in a confined fluid, there is an equal increase at every other point in the container. QuickTime™ and a

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Vacuums & Barometers

• Studied free space above mercury level in barometers - believed in vacuum

• Showed through experiment that air pressure decreases with increasing height

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Pascal’s Vases

• In his investigations of the barometer, he found that the height to which the mercury rose in a vessel was the same regardless of shape.

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Pascal’s Wager

• First use of truth table• A single paragraph of

Pensees• The best possible

consequence that a atheist can hope for is the worst possible situation an theist can attain. Ergo, it is better to believe.

God does exist

God does not exist

I do believe

I go to heaven

No consequence

I do not believe

I go to hell No consequence

Icon and Death Mask

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