How were the Great Pyramids of Giza built?

And how did the Ancient Egyptians lift the massive 10 ton blocks to such great heights?

In this video, we run through the physics and actually calculate the forces involved in the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The ancient Egyptians used a simple machine known as a Herodotus machine. And while simple in design, the Egyptians didn’t leave many clues behind on the exact details of this machine. By using the physics of a lever system and the geometrical considerations of the blocks in the pyramid, we can backwards engineer the design of this machine.

But even with the assistance of the machine, how much lifting power was still required to lift the heavy blocks? By the end of this video, you’ll know exactly what the ancient Egyptians needed to lift during the Great Pyramid’s construction.

Here's an outline of the video:

I. The Great Pyramid of Giza’s Size and Scale: 1:24 |How much mass is actually involved.

II. Introducing the Herodotus Machine: 3:07 |A detailed animation showing the design and operation of the Herodotus Machine.

III. The Physics of a Lever System: 5:44 |All the physics of lever systems, torque, and counterweights needed to perform the calculation.

IV. Analysis of the Herodotus Machine: 10:23 |Applying the physics from part III to lifting a 10 ton block with the Herodotus Machine.

V. Geometrical and Operational Limits of the Herodotus Machine: 15:53 |In order for the Herodotus Machine to operate, certain geometrical considerations need to be applied to the blocks used in the great pyramid of Giza.

VI. Final Thoughts: 20:34 |My final thoughts on this Egyptian engineering marvel.

If you liked this video, make sure to subscribe to @DrJohnDev for updates and exclusive content.

Thanks for watching and as always,
Happy Learning!

#pyramids #Giza #AncientWonders #AncientEgypt #AncientTech #Egyptians #Herodotus #DaVinci #HerodotusMachine #levers #MechanicalAdvantage #Counterweights #Torque #Mechanics #Engineering #StructuralEngineering #CivilEngineering #LiftingHeavyObjects #physics #science #youtubechannel #subscribe


Equipment I use:
Raleno Softbox Photography Lighting Kit
Sony a7 FullFrame Mirrorless Digital Camera
DaVinci Resolve 18.5
Blender 3.6
Manim v0.18.0
Fifine Microphone

Unless indicated otherwise, all drawings, pictures, animations, script, problems, derivations, and videography in this video are creations, property, and copyrighted material of drjohn.dev.