Popular Scientific Recreations in Natural Philosphy, Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry, etc., etc., etc. Gaston Tissandier

fall in the same time in a given distance. Two coins (or a coin and a feather in vacuo) will fall together. But in the air the feather will remain far behind the coin, because nearly all the atoms of the former are resisted by the air, while in the coin only some particles are exposed to the resistance, the density of the latter preventing the air from reaching more than a few atoms, comparatively speaking. The theory of weight and gravitation, and experiments relating to the falling of bodies, may be easily demonstrated with ordinary objects that we have at hand. I take a halfpenny and a piece of paper, which I cut in the shape of the coin, and holding them side by side, I drop them simultaneously; the halfpenny reaches the ground some time before the paper, a result quite in accordance with the laws of gravitation, as one must bear in mind the presence of air, and the different resistance it offers to two bodies differing in density. I next place the paper disc on the upper surface of the piece of money, and then drop them simultaneously. The two objects now reach the ground at the same time, the paper, in contact with the halfpenny, being preserved from the action of the air. This experiment is so well known that we need not further discuss it; but it must be plainly evident that it is capable of development in experiments on phenomena relating to falling bodies.7 When a body influenced by the action of a force acts, in its turn, upon another, the latter reacts in an opposite manner upon the first, and with the same intensity.

      The Attraction of Cohesion is the attraction of particles of bodies to each other at very small distances apart. Cohesion has received various names in order to express its various degrees. For instance, we say a body is tough or brittle, or soft or hard, according to the degrees of cohesion the particles exercise. We know if we break a glass we destroy the cohesion; the particles cannot be reunited. Most Liquid particles can be united, but not all. Oil will not mix with water.

      The force of cohesion depends upon heat. Heat expands everything, and the cohesion diminishes as temperature increases.

      There are some objects or substances upon the earth the particles of which adhere much more closely than others, and can only, with very great difficulty, be separated. These are termed Solids. There are other substances whose particles can easily be divided, or their position altered. These are called Fluids. A third class seem to have little or no cohesion at all. These are termed Gases.

      Adhesion is also a form of attraction, and is cohesion existing on the surfaces of two bodies. When a fluid adheres to a solid we say the solid is wet. We turn this natural adhesion to our own purposes in many ways—we whitewash our walls, and paint our houses; we paste our papers together, etc.

      On the other hand, many fluids will hot adhere. Oil and water have already been instanced. Mercury will not stick to a glass tube, nor will the oiled glass tube retain any water. We can show the attraction and repulsion in the following manner:—Let one glass tube be dipped into water and another into mercury, you will see that the water will ascend slightly at the side, owing to the attraction of the glass, while the mercury will be higher in the centre, for it possesses no attraction for the glass (fig. 17). If small, or what are termed capillary (or hair) tubes, be used (fig. 18), the water will rise up in the one tube, while in the other the mercury will remain lower than the mercury outside the tube. (See Capillarity.)

      Figs. 17. and 18.

      Chemical Attraction is the force by which two different bodies unite to form a new and different body from either. This force will be fully considered in Chemistry, in a future part.

      It is needless for us to dwell upon the uses of these Forces of Nature. Gravity and Cohesion being left out of our world, we can imagine the result. The earth and sun and planets would wander aimlessly about; we should float away into space, and everything would fall to pieces, while our bodies would dissolve into their component parts.

      The Balance and Centre of Gravity.—We have spoken at some length about Gravity, and now we must say something respecting that point called the Centre of Gravity, and the Balance, and upon the latter we have a few remarks to make first, for a well-adjusted balance is a most useful thing, and we will show you how to make one, and then proceed to our illustrations of the Centre of Gravity, and explain it.

      Fig. 19.—Torsion balance, which can easily be constructed, capable of weighing a milligram one-tenth of full size.

      All those who cultivate experimental science are aware that it is useful to unite with theoretical ideas that manual dexterity which is acquired by the student accustoming himself to practical operations. One cannot too strongly urge both chemists and physicists to exercise themselves in the construction of the appliances they require, and also to modify those already existing, which may be adapted to their wants. In a large number of cases it is possible to manufacture, at small expense, delicate instruments, capable of rendering the same service as the most elaborate apparatus. Important scientific labours have often been undertaken by men whose laboratories were most simple, who, by means of skill and perseverance, knew how to do great things with small resources. A delicate balance, for instance, indispensable alike to chemist and physicist, can be manufactured at little cost in different ways. A thin platinum wire and a piece of wood is all that is needed to make a balance capable of weighing a milligram; and to make a very sensitive hydrostatic balance, little is required besides a glass balloon. Fig. 19 represents a small torsion balance of extreme simplicity. A thin platinum wire is stretched horizontally through two staples, from the wooden supports, A B, which are fixed in a deal board. A very thin, delicate lever, C D, cut in wood, or made with a wisp of straw, is fixed in the centre of the platinum wire by means of a small clip, which secures it firmly. This lever is placed in such a manner that it is raised perceptibly out of the horizontal line. At D is fixed a paper scale, on which is put the weight of a centigram. The lever is lowered to a certain point, slightly twisting the platinum wire. Near the end of the lever a piece of wood, F, is fixed, on which is marked the extreme point of its movements. Ten equi-distant divisions are marked between these two points, which represent the distance traversed by the lever under the weight of the milligram. If a smaller weight than a centigram is placed on the paper scale the lever falls, and balances itself after a few oscillations. If it falls four divisions, it is evident that the substance weighs four milligrams. Taking a rather thicker platinum wire, to which a shorter lever must be adapted, one can weigh the decigram, and so on. It would be an easy matter, also, to make, on the same model, balances for weighing considerable weights. The platinum wire should be replaced by iron wires of larger diameter, firmly stretched, and the lever should be made of a piece of very resisting wood. One can also, by adaptation, find the exact value of the most trifling weights. By lengthening a very fine platinum wire several yards, and adapting a long, slender lever, it will not be impossible to ascertain the tenth of a milligram. In this latter case the balance can be set when it is wanted.

      Fig. 20.—Nicholson’s Areometer, contrived to serve as a balance.

      Fig. 20 represents Nicholson’s Areometer, which any one may construct for himself, and which, as it is here represented, constitutes another kind of balance. A glass balloon, filled with air, is hermetically closed with a cork, through which is passed a cylinder of wood, surmounted by a wooden disc, D. The apparatus is terminated at its lower end by a small tray, C, on which one can put pieces of lead in variable quantities. It is then plunged into a glass filled with water. The pieces of lead on the tray, C, are added by degrees, until the stem of the areometer rises almost entirely above the level of the water; it is next passed through a ring, which keeps it in position, and which is fastened to the upper part of the glass by means of four iron wires in the shape of a cross. The stem is divided in such a way that the space comprised in each division represents the volume of a cubic centimetre. Thus arranged, the apparatus constitutes a balance. The object to be weighed is placed on the disc, D, and the areometer sinks in the water, oscillates, and then remains in equilibrium. If the stem sinks five divisions, it is evident that the weight of the object corresponds