Archimedes was asked by the king to determine whether the goldsmith in making his crown had cheated the king by substituting cheaper metals.When Archimedes checked on known methods for analyzing metals, he found that all involved cutting or melting the crown.Then, the solution to the crown problem came to Archimedes suddenly when he was getting into his overly full bath and observed that the level of water rose as he stepped in.This same principle, he reasoned, could be used in determining the crown's volume.Then, legend has it that Archimedes ran naked through the streets shouting, "Eureka, Eureka," an activity which is not a requirement of this stage of rapid insight known as
A) preparation.
B) incubation.
C) illumination.
D) verification.

Question

Archimedes was asked by the king to determine whether the goldsmith in making his crown had cheated the king by substituting cheaper metals.When Archimedes checked on known methods for analyzing metals, he found that all involved cutting or melting the crown.Then, the solution to the crown problem came to Archimedes suddenly when he was getting into his overly full bath and observed that the level of water rose as he stepped in.This same principle, he reasoned, could be used in determining the crown's volume.Then, legend has it that Archimedes ran naked through the streets shouting, "Eureka, Eureka," an activity which is not a requirement of this stage of rapid insight known as
A) preparation.
B) incubation.
C) illumination.
D) verification.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The stage of rapid insight where the solution suddenly comes to mind is called illumination. Archimedes experienced this stage when he realized he could use the displacement of water to determine the crown's volume. The other stages listed (preparation, incubation, verification) are part of the traditional problem-solving process but do not apply to this specific situation with Archimedes and the crown problem.

Archimedes Was Asked by the King to Determine Whether the Goldsmith