Prior to the Discovery of Atmospheric Pressure, the Failure of Wine

question 28

Multiple Choice

Prior to the discovery of atmospheric pressure, the failure of wine to pour from the bottom of a barrel unless an opening was made in the top was explained by:

• A) The Empedoclean theory of the four elements.
• B) The Aristotelian theory of natural place.
• C) The fact that all seventeenth century wine barrels were made from oak.
• D) The fact that fermentation produces sediment, which clogs the tap.
• E) The principle that nature abhors a vacuum.