Willebrord Snell was on born June 13th, 1580 in Leiden, Netherlands. He was a Dutch astronomer and mathematician. Snell's father, Rudolph Snell, was a professor of mathematics. Rudolph Snell wanted his son to study law, but Snell wished to follow in his father's footsteps and study mathematics. His father boarded students in his own house where he ran a private school. Snell grew up with the other students and was taught by his father. Later he traveled frequently, discussing astronomy. While in Prague he was introduced to Tycho Brahe and his assistant Johannes Kepler and assisted them in making observations. After Brahe died, Snell moved on to other locations and continued to visit mathematicians. Snell returned to Leiden and published many works including Eratosthenes Batavs, Cyclometricus, de Circuli dimensione, Tiphys Batavs, and Descriptio Cometae. In Cyclometricus he improved the method of calculating the approximate value of 'pi' by polygons. He also edited other works containing astronomical observation. Snell succeeded his father as professor of mathematics at University of Leiden when his father became too ill to continue teaching. In 1615 he planned and carried a new method of finding the radius of the earth by determining the distance of one point on its surface from the parallel latitude of another, by means of triangulation. Snell rediscovered the law of refraction that was primarily discovered by Ibn Sahl. The law of refraction demonstrates that when a ray of light passes from a thinner element into a denser element the angle of the ray bends to the vertical. For many years Snell was thought to have been the founder of this law and was given credit. This is why the law of refraction often called "Snell's law". Snell received his degree for Master of Arts from the University of Leiden and married. It is rumored that he had eighteen children, of which, only three survived to adulthood. At age forty-six Snell died from colic. Symptoms of colic involve fever and paralysis of the arms and legs. He was ill for two weeks before passing on October 30th, 1626.
"Willebrord Snell." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/willebrord-snell-528.php>.
"Willebrord Snellius." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willebrord_Snellius>.
"Willebrord Van Royen Snell." Snell Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Snell.html>.
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