Fizeau, Armand Hippolyte Louis

Fizeau, Armand Hippolyte Louis (ärmäN' ēpôlēt' lwē fēzō') [key], 1819–96, French physicist. The first to measure (1849) the velocity of light in air, he also determined its speed in water. He made valuable discoveries on the polarization of light and the expansion of crystals, explained the Doppler effect, and devised a method of increasing the permanency of daguerreotypes. With Léon Foucault he took the first clear photograph of the surface of the sun.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print
  • Email
  • Bookmark
    • Add bookmark
    • Add to del.icio.us
    • Digg It!
    • Add to Reddit