1686 in science
|
|
The year 1686 in science and technology included many events, some of which are listed here.
See also: 1685 in science, other events of 1686, 1687 in science and the list of years in science.
| Contents |
Astronomy
- Gottfried Kirch notices that Chi Cygni's brightness varies.
Geology
- Edmund Halley establishes the relationship between barometric pressure and height above sea level.
Meteorology
- Edmund Halley presents a systematic study of the trade winds and monsoons and identifies solar heating as the cause of atmospheric motions.
Physics
- Isaac Newton uses a fixed length pendulum with weights of varying composition to test the weak equivalence principle to 1 part in 1000
Births
- May 24 - Gabriel Fahrenheit, physicist, inventor (died 1736)
Deaths
- Nicolas Steno: pioneer in early-modern geology (born 1638)