A man called Otto von Guericke, the Mayor of Magdeburg, Germany, became intrigued with the possibilities of vacuums. In 1650, he constructed his first air pump. It was similar to a water pump, and had parts fixed together in such a way that it became sufficiently airtight. He found his invention to be a success. To prove it, he showed that an evacuated vessel could prevent a ringing bell inside from being heard. In addition to this experiment, he also established that while inside the vessel candles would not burn and animals died.
Guericke continued to demonstrate his work to many people, including the Emperor Ferdinand III and his court. His most impressive demonstration utilised two hemispheres which were 12 feet in diameter. These were fitted together along a greased flange at the perimeter. The sphere was then evacuated of air. Two teams of eight horses were employed to pull on the ropes that were attached to each of these hemispheres. It was found that even after considerable effort, the horses did not succeed in separating them. However, when air was admitted, the two hemispheres fell apart easily.
In modern times, the basic principles of the air pump are incorporated into many appliances. An example being the vacuum cleaner, which as in almost all cases of modern air pumps, is operated by an electric motor.
