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Alhazen Facts & Worksheets

Alhazen was an Arabian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer whose most significant contribution was his study in vision that is still used in modern times.

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Alhazen was an Arabian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer whose most significant contribution was his study in vision that is still used in modern times. He was also called the Father of Optics and “The First True Scientist” for pioneering the modern scientific method.

See the fact file below for more information on the Alhazen or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Alhazen worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PERSONAL FACTS

  • Hasan Ibn al-Haytham born into a Muslim family on July 1, 965 AD in Basra, Iraq.
  • He was also known as Alhazen, as the western people called him, or Al Basri, meaning from the city of Basra in Iraq.
  • He was first a civil servant, then appointed as a minister (Vizier in Arabic) in Basra and the surrounding region.
  • His autobiography revealed that despite being a devout Muslim, he was unhappy about the uncertainty of truth in all religions.
  • He quit his job as a minister to devote his life to science and moved to Cairo, Egypt, where he spent most of his life.
  • He died at the age of 74 in Cairo in 1039 AD.

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS

  • BOOK OF OPTICS
  • Alhazen used his time in house arrest to research, conduct experiments, and write books.
  • One of the significant outcomes of this, and perhaps his most famous contribution, is the seven-volume work on optics, Kitab al-Manazir.
  • Before Alhazen published his Book of Optics, there were two conflicting theories of vision: the Emission Theory supported by thinkers Euclid and Ptolemy, and the Intromission Theory supported by Aristotle.
  • The first theory states that the eyes emit light rays, resulting in the perception of vision. The second believes that light bounces off of different subjects and objects to enter the eye, making visualization possible.
  • Alhazen refuted Euclid and Ptolemy’s theory and backed Aristotle’s with Galen’s work on anatomy.
  • He declared that it is not our eyes that emit light, and conducted experiments to prove that light was reflected from the object of vision into the eye.
  • In the 13th century, Alhazen’s books were translated into Latin.
  • Roger Bacon used Alhazen’s work as a basis to make spectacles or eyeglasses to help the elderly with sight problems.
  • Alhazen’s study of lenses led to the invention of the microscope and telescope.
  • He also created the first camera obscura, which consisted of a dark room where light entered a pinhole size aperture, projecting an inverted image onto the wall inside the room.
  • SCIENTIFIC METHOD
  • Alhazen pioneered the use of the scientific method.
  • In his book, he used a scientific method similar to what we use today where scientists repeat a cycle of observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and independent verification.
  • He established that experiments were the norm in proving the theory.
  • His discoveries were not based on abstract theories but the results of a systematic experiment.
  • According to author Jim Al-Khalili, his Book of Optics is “a real science textbook,” complete with precise descriptions of experiments, apparatus, measurements taken, and results obtained.

OTHER MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Alhazen was famous for his work in optics and the scientific method.
  • He also made other major contributions in mathematics, astronomy, and physics.
  • He explored the connection between algebra and geometry. This was reinforced later by Omar Khayyam and fully developed by Descartes and Fermat.
  • He contributed to the number theory with his work on perfect numbers. He failed to prove it during his lifetime, but Euler successfully validated it in the 18th century.
  • Alhazen wrote On the Configuration of the World, which is deemed to be his most significant astronomical work.
  • In 1025, he wrote Doubts Concerning Ptolemy to criticize Ptolemy’s Almagest, Planetary Hypotheses, and Optics, pointing out the inaccuracy of his work in optics and astronomy.

HIS MISTAKE ABOUT THE NILE RIVER

  • While serving as minister, Alhazen also became known as a scientist in Basra. He then quit his public office to devote himself to science.
  • He moved to Egypt where the Fatimid Empire reigned and was led by Caliph Al-Hakim.
  • Historians describe Al-Hakim as an eccentric, cruel leader who murdered his enemies.
  • Despite this, the caliph had great respect for the sciences.
  • Alhazen proposed to Al-Hakim that he could control the flow of water into the River Nile.
  • Alhazen was summoned to Egypt and appointed to lead an engineering team to undertake the task.
  • However, Alhazen realized that he had underestimated the problem and informed Al-Hakim that his plan would not work.
  • The disappointed caliph appointed Alhazen to an administrative post, but given the caliph’s reputation, Alhazen decided that he could not trust him.
  • He feigned madness and was confined to house arrest until Al-Hakim died in 1021.

INTERSETING FACTS ABOUT ALHAZEN

  • Only 55 of the 96 books recorded that Alhazen wrote survived.
  • An asteroid and an impact crater of the moon were named after him.
  • He was featured on an Iraqi 10,000-dinar banknote issued in 2003 and on 10-dinar notes from 1982 using his real name.
  • UNESCO declared the International Year of Light in 2015 to celebrate his contributions in optics, mathematics, and astronomy.

Alhazen Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Alhazen across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Alhazen worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Alhazen who  was an Arabian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer whose most significant contribution was his study in vision that is still used in modern times. He was also called the Father of Optics and “The First True Scientist” for pioneering the modern scientific method.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Alhazen Facts
  • Alhazen’s Life
  • Ptolemy vs. Alhazen
  • Name Game
  • Doubts About Ptolemy
  • Missing Words
  • Camera Obscura
  • Two Theories, One Verdict
  • The River Nile Oversight
  • The Father of Optics and More
  • 1001 Inventions

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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