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Gaspard de Prony
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Gaspard de Prony

French mathematician and engineer
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Also known as: Gaspard-Clair-Franƈois-Marie Riche, Baron de Prony
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Article History
Quick Facts
In full:
Gaspard-Clair-François-Marie Riche, baron de Prony
Born:
July 22, 1755, Chamelet, France
Died:
July 29, 1839, Paris (aged 84)
Also Known As:
Gaspard-Clair-Franƈois-Marie Riche, Baron de Prony
See all related content

Gaspard de Prony (born July 22, 1755, Chamelet, France—died July 29, 1839, Paris) was a French mathematician and engineer. He invented the Prony brake (1821), a device for measuring the power developed by an engine. In the Prony brake, brake blocks are squeezed against a rotating wheel, and the friction generated at the ends of the wheel applies torque to a lever; a scale measures the force needed to hold the lever in place.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.