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Secondary sourceArtifact1909

Heron's Fountain Instrument by Max Kohl

Max Kohl · 1909

A 1909 school science apparatus built on the siphon principle described by Hero, used to teach his design centuries later.

A school apparatus built to demonstrate a siphon device based on Hero's design, showing his lasting influence on teaching.

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Photo of a Heron's fountain apparatus on a grey display table against a mauve wall. It has a brass bowl on top, two glass spheres joined by brass fittings and two vertical tubes, and a brass tripod base.
Heron's fountain, manufactured by Max Kohl, 1909. Instituto de Educación Secundaria Jorge Manrique, Palencia, Spain.

About this source

What it is

This is a piece of scientific teaching equipment called a Heron's fountain, manufactured in 1909 by the German instrument maker Max Kohl. It is held in the historical instrument collection of a secondary school in Palencia, Spain, and consists of a brass bowl, two glass spheres, connecting tubes, and a tripod base.

Why it matters

The device demonstrates a siphon principle attributed to Hero of Alexandria. Though made almost two thousand years after Hero's lifetime, it shows how his ideas about fluids and pressure continued to be taught in classrooms well into the 20th century, connecting ancient engineering to modern science education.

Look closer

  • How do you think water or air moves through this apparatus?
  • Why would a school in 1909 want a device based on an ancient design?
  • What does the survival of this object tell us about how science is taught over time?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hero of Alexandria on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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