A hermetic seal is an airtight seal. For example, tins and cans are hermetically sealed. The term is often used to describe electronic parts that are designed and intended to be secure against the entry of microorganisms and to maintain the safety and quality of their contents. Applications include thermostats, optical devices, switches, and other devices. The food, chemical, and medical industries all have applications for the use of such "airtight" packaging, as well. High-end coffins, too, are often made to be "hermetically sealed" and must be of metal or of other material with metal lining, and constructed so that when closed and fastened the coffin is completely airtight. General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... Look up Can in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Can may refer to: A usually cylindrically shaped object used for storing other materials, especially liquids and foodstuffs. ... A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is so small that it is microscopic (invisible to the naked eye). ... Bi-metallic thermostat for buildings A thermostat is a device for maintaining the temperature of a system within a range by controlling, either directly or indirectly, the flow of heat energy into or out of the system. ... An optical instrument either processes light waves to enhance an image for viewing, or analyzes light waves (or photons) to determine one of a number of characteristic properties. ... It has been suggested that switching be merged into this article or section. ...

The expression "hermetically sealed" finds its roots in Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth. Its origin can be traced back to about 300 AD. Hermes Trismegistus purportedly authored several books containing secrets of alchemy and mystic philosophy, the Hermetica. In the 17th century, English writers began using the adjective hermetic to refer to things that were sealed or secret. An early "hermetically sealed" container featured in the dramatic demonstration of the force of air pressure in creating a hermetic seal in 1663, when for the enlightenment and entertainment of the court of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Otto von Guericke joined two copper hemispheres (Magdeburg hemispheres) and pumped the air out of the enclosure. Then he harnessed a team of eight horses to each hemisphere and showed that they were not able to separate them. Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for Hermes the thrice-greatest, Greek: Ερμης ο Τρισμεγιστος) or Mercurius ter Maximus in Latin, is the syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth. ... Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermés (pronounced HUR-meis; Greek: Έρμης: pile of marker stones), in Greek mythology, is the god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators, literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and... Thoth (Ramesseum, Luxor) In Egyptian mythology, Thoth (also spelt Thot or Thout), pronounced tot, is the Greek name given to Djehuty (also spelt Tahuti, Tehuti, Zehuti, Techu, Tetu) - the original pronunciation of his name is disputed, and may have been approximately Tee-HOW-ti -, who was originally the deification of... For other uses, see number 300. ... Hermetica refers to a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom, and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. ... Atmospheric pressure is the pressure caused by the weight of air above any area in the Earths atmosphere. ... // Events Prix de Rome scholarship established for students of the arts. ... Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg. ... Otto von Guericke Otto von Guericke (originally spelled Gericke) (born November 20, 1602 in Magdeburg, Germany, died May 11, 1686 in Hamburg, Germany, both dates according to the Julian calendar, according to the Gregorian calendar they are November 30 and May 21) was a German scientist, inventor, and politician (mayor... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Gaspar Schotts sketch of Otto von Guerickes Magdeburg hemispheres experiment. ...

Etymology

The word hermetic comes from the syncretism of the Greek God Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth; this figure was also a mythological alchemist known as Hermes Trismegistus. The latter has three books attributed to him, the Emerald Tablet, the Corpus Hermeticum and The Kybalion. He was believed to possess a magic ability to seal treasure chests so that nothing could access their contents. Alchemists also frequently used distillation in their experiments, and needed an airtight seal to improve the efficiency of their alembic stills. Most alchemists, though, were considered to be Hermetics for adopting the philosophy of the Emerald Tablet or the Corpus Hermeticum. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by monotheistic religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermés (pronounced HUR-meis; Greek: Έρμης: pile of marker stones), in Greek mythology, is the god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators, literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and... Thoth (Ramesseum, Luxor) In Egyptian mythology, Thoth (also spelt Thot or Thout), pronounced tot, is the Greek name given to Djehuty (also spelt Tahuti, Tehuti, Zehuti, Techu, Tetu) - the original pronunciation of his name is disputed, and may have been approximately Tee-HOW-ti -, who was originally the deification of... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for Hermes the thrice-greatest, Greek: Ερμης ο Τρισμεγιστος) or Mercurius ter Maximus in Latin, is the syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth. ... The Emerald Tablet, also known as Smaragdine Table, Tabula Smaragdina, or The Secret of Hermes, is an ancient text purporting to reveal the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations. ... Hermetica refers to a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom, and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. ... The Kybalion is a mystical, hermetic book that was authored by the Three Initiates. The content of this book is generally believed to be the essence of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus and outlines The Seven Hermetic Principles as: 1. ... The ancient symbol of the pentagram is often used as a symbol for magic. ... Strathisla whisky distillery in Keith, Scotland Distillation is a method of separation of substances based on differences in their vapor pressures. ... An alembic is an alchemical still consisting of two retorts connected by a tube. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...