Museo Galileo
italiano
Virtual Museum
Francis Hauksbee Senior
1660-1713
Francis Hauksbee Senior

English physicist and scientific-instrument maker. Student of Robert Boyle (1627-1691) and fellow of the Royal Society of London. Made many original observations on the barometer and the properties of the vacuum. Studied the phenomenon of electrical luminescence in barometers, perfected the air pump, and designed one of the first electrostatic machines. Conducted important research on the propagation of sound and on phenomena concerning electrical discharges.