A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water. — John Shaqi
A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water.Galilei, Galileo
Science
A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water.
Galilei, Galileo
Hydrostatics; Specific gravity
This Matter prepared, and, for example, a Ball being made thereof as
bigge as an Orange or biger, and that made so grave as to sink to the
bottom, but so lightly, that takeing thence one only Grain of Lead, it
returns to the top, and being added, it submergeth to the bottom, let
the same Wax afterwards be made into a very broad and thin Flake or
Cake; and then, returning to make the same Experiment, you shall see
that it being put to the bottom, it shall, with the Grain of Lead rest
below, and that Grain deducted, it shall ascend to the very Surface,
and added again it shall dive to the bottom. And this same effect
shall happen alwaies in all sort of Figures, as wel regular as
irregular: nor shall you ever finde any that will swim without the
removall of the Grain of Lead, or sinke to the bottom unless it be
added: and, in short, about the going or not going to the Bottom, you
shall discover no diversity, although, indeed, you shall about the
quick and slow descent: for the more expatiated and distended Figures
move more slowly aswel in the diveing to the bottom as in the rising
to the top; and the other more contracted and compact Figures, more
speedily. Now I know not what may be expected from the diversity of
Figures, if the most contrary to one another operate not so much as
doth a very small Grain of Lead, added or removed.
Me thinkes I hear some of the Adversaries to raise a doubt upon my
produced Experiment[40]. And first that they offer to my consideration,
that the Figure, as a Figure simply, and disjunct from the Matter
workes not any effect, but requires to be conjoyned with the Matter;
and, furthermore, not with every Matter, but with those only,
wherewith it may be able to execute the desired operation. Like as we
see it verified by Experience, that the Acute and sharp Angle is more
apt to cut, than the Obtuse; yet alwaies provided, that both the one
and the other, be joyned with a Matter apt to cut, as for example,
with Steel. Therefore, a Knife with a fine and sharp edge, cuts Bread
or Wood with much ease, which it will not do, if the edge be blunt and
thick: but he that will instead of Steel, take Wax, and mould it into
a Knife, undoubtedly shall never know the effects of sharp and blunt
edges: because neither of them will cut, the Wax being unable by
reason of its flexibility, to overcome the hardness of the Wood and
Bread. And, therefore, applying the like discourse to our purpose,
they say, that the difference of Figure will shew different effects,
touching Natation and Submersion, but not conjoyned with any kind of
Matter, but only with those Matters which, by their Gravity, are apt
to resist the Velocity of the water, whence he that would elect for
the Matter, Cork or other light wood, unable, through its Levity, to
superate the Crassitude of the water, and of that Matter should forme
Solids of divers Figures, would in vain seek to find out what
operation Figure hath in Natation or Submersion; because all would
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