| Pacinotti Antonio (1841 - 1912) |
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| Papers on line: |
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| Papers in Il Nuovo Cimento: |
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| Antonio Pacinotti was born in Pisa on June, 17, 1841. |
From his father, Luigi Pacinotti, a Professor of Technical Physics and Experimental Mechanics in Pisa, he learned the first mathematical elements. He also attended to courses of Mathematics given by his father. |
He took the degree in Physics on 1861 at the University of Pisa |
Pacinotti has been: |
- Pupil of Riccardo Felici at the University of Pisa from 1856 to 1857
- Assistant of Technical Physics at the University of Pisa (starting from 1859)
- Voluntary in the Italian Indipendence war (1859)
- Assistant of the Professor of Astronomy G.B. Donati (starting from 1862)
- Professor of Physics at the Technical Institute (high school institute) in Bologna by the end of 1864
- Full Professor of Physics at the University of Cagliari on March, 1873
- Professor of Technical Physics at the University of Pisa (starting from December 1881)
- Professor of Architecture and rural Hydraulics for several years
- Member of the Academy of Lincei on 1898
- Senator of Italian Parliament on 1905
- President of Italian electro-technical Society on 1911
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| Pacinotti died in Pisa on March, 24, 1912. |
Researches: |
According to Guido Grassi, author of Pacinotti's commemoration in "Il Nuovo Cimento", Pacinotti wrote many papers; among them Grassi stresses the importance of: |
- a memoire in "Il Nuovo Cimento" on electric currents produced by heat and light (1863-1864)
- a memoire in "Il Nuovo Cimento" which describes the dynamo (1865)
- a paper on vaporisation of liquids (1871)
- a paper published in "Il Nuovo Cimento" entitled "On use of transversal electromagnets for the electromagnetical riproduction of the angles" (1873)
- a paper in "Il Nuovo Cimento" entitled " On Electricity given by friction of pairs " (1874-1875)
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| In "Il Nuovo Cimento" Pacinotti wtrote 34 papers; among them: |
- 12 on Electromagnetism
- 6 on Electricty
- 2 on Earth Sciences
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Invention: |
Altough Pacinotti spent most of his life as a Physics Professor at the University, his reputation was due to his invention of a new electric generator (dynamo). |
The description of his electric generator appeared in a paper published in "Il Nuovo Cimento" on June 1865, and became a key element in the evolution towards the commercial dynamo during the next decade. |
In his paper Pacinotti pointed out that his new "macchinetta" (little machine) could be used either as a direct-current motor or as a generator. |
A commercial version of the dynamo was developed by Gramme in 1869. For a detailed story see: |
- A. Garbasso "La fisica italiana dopo Alessandro Volta" in: J. de Blasi (ed.) Scienza e poesia, (Florence, 1934), 105-130, pag. 111-112.
- Giuseppe Giuliani "Il Nuovo Cimento: novant'anni di fisica in Italia 1855-1944" from page 13 to page 18.
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