The constitution of matter : memoir on the probable constitution of matter, and laws of motion, as deducible from, and explanatory of, the physical phenomena of nature / by J.L. Riddell.

  • Riddell, John Leonard, 1807-1865.
Date:
[1846?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The constitution of matter : memoir on the probable constitution of matter, and laws of motion, as deducible from, and explanatory of, the physical phenomena of nature / by J.L. Riddell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    complete ; inasmuch as there are ao chances to 1 that the impact would not he direct. Admitting the loss of momentum by the aforesaid impact among the [ill© °° atoms, let us inquire what ratio of this loss would necessarily be felt by the molecular, and visible bodies about us. 37. Suppose that jtfo Q0-1 impinges upon M'z>G0-1 causing ill'© °°-i to move through a finite distance, and then in like manner to transfer its momentum by impact to M© co-1. At the time of impact of Mz> C0-J- against ilf©00-1, collision would occur among the [il/o °° particles composing and surrounding ill'©50-1: then a translation of J/'©00-1 through space would ensue, in obedience to the impulse, and as ilf© co-1 =€&.M© °°, it would follow that & times greater length of time would be occupied in this translation through the said finite space, (during which time the repetition of impulse is not necessary to maintain the motion,) than what was previously occupied by collision of fill© °° par- t'cles. Hence, in reference to a given momentum, J] impulsively trans- mitted through media, on the rational supposition that the distances between the atoms of media, differing as to the term of matter to which they belong, bear some proportionate ratio to the magnitude of the atoms themselves, there would necessarily be m times as many collisions of [Mo °° , when the momentum/was traversing a pure medium of [ilf© °° matter, as when /was being transmitted through the [Mo °°-1 medium. 38. And so, if the momentum f were transversing impulsively the [ilf© co-n medium, the number of collisions of [Mo °° atoms (the only collisions of actual contact which could occur, upon the supposition be- fore stated,) would necessarily be m n times less than in the case where f was transmitted wholly in the [ilf© °° medium. Hence, as an atom of molecular matter, (one of the chemical elements, as oxygen,) =ilf© = €©= °° times Mo °° , in the transmission of j momentum through air, the hypothetical loss of motion in consequence of the number of [Mo °° col- lisions becomes „l m of what it would be, were the [ilf© particles ot air themselves the ultimate term of matter. 39. Hence, admitting the proposition, that the collision of perfectly hard bodies results in a loss of momentum, and that the transcendental ultimate [ilf© °° atoms of matter are perfectly hard; yet, if visible bodies embrace in their inherent structure a series of never-ending subordinate terms or atoms ; the collision and friction of visible bodies are attended with a loss of motion=0, or infinitely small. EXPEKIMENTS ON CONTINUOUS AND OPPOSING IMPULSES. 40. As illustrative of this subject, I will here cite some experiments which I have often repeated, demonstrating in a striking manner, the im- pulsive transfer of momentum through rods of iron, without a sensible movement of the mass of iron. 1. Bend a rod of iron ten or fifteen feet in length into the form of the letter U ; fix each limb firmly in a vice, or confine them otherwise ; a slight blow on one end of the rod, will project with considerable force a marble in contact with the other end, the direc- tion in which the marble is impelled being opposite to that of the blow giv- en. 2. Arrange continuous rods so that the impulse from a single blow may be divided and traverse the same rod in opposite directions at the same instant;—and it may in like manner be shown, that opposing im- plies in the same substance do not annihilate each ^ther.