Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and YoungTimbs, John
Science
Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and Young
Timbs, John
Science
In September 1858, there were constructed for the Atlantic-telegraph
cable at Valentia two permanent magnets, from which the electric
induction is obtained: each is composed of 30 horse-shoe magnets, 2½
feet long and from 4 to 5 inches broad; the induction coils attached to
these each contain six miles of wire, and a shock from them, if passed
through the human body, would be sufficient to destroy life.
ROTATION-MAGNETISM.
The unexpected discovery of Rotation-Magnetism by Arago, in 1825,
has shown practically that every kind of matter is susceptible of
magnetism; and the recent investigations of Faraday on diamagnetic
substances have, under special conditions of meridian or equatorial
direction, and of solid, fluid, or gaseous inactive conditions of the
bodies, confirmed this important result.
INFLUENCE OF PENDULUMS ON EACH OTHER.
About a century since it became known, that when two clocks are in
action upon the same shelf, they will disturb each other: that the
pendulum of the one will stop that of the other; and that the pendulum
that was stopped will after a while resume its vibrations, and in its
turn stop that of the other clock. When two clocks are placed near
one another in cases very slightly fixed, or when they stand on the
boards of a floor, they will affect a little each other’s pendulum.
Mr. Ellicote observed that two clocks resting against the same rail,
which agreed to a second for several days, varied one minute thirty-six
seconds in twenty-four hours when separated. The slower, having a
longer pendulum, set the other in motion in 16-1/3 minutes, and stopped
itself in 36-2/3 minutes.
WEIGHT OF THE EARTH ASCERTAINED BY THE PENDULUM.
By a series of comparisons with Pendulums placed at the surface and
the interior of the Earth, the Astronomer-Royal has ascertained the
variation of gravity in descending to the bottom of a deep mine, as
the Harton coal-pit, near South Shields. By calculations from these
experiments, he has found the mean density of the earth to be 6·566,
the specific gravity of water being represented by unity. In other
words, it has been ascertained by these experiments that if the earth’s
mass possessed every where its average density, it would weigh, bulk
for bulk, 6·566 times as much as water. It is curious to note the
different values of the earth’s mean density which have been obtained
by different methods. The Schehallien experiment indicated a mean
density equal to about 4½; the Cavendish apparatus, repeated by Baily
and Reich, about 5½; and Professor Airy’s pendulum experiment furnishes
a value amounting to about 6½.
The immediate result of the computations of the Astronomer-Royal is:
supposing a clock adjusted to go true time at the top of the mine, it
would gain 2¼ seconds per day at the bottom. Or it may be stated thus:
that gravity is greater at the bottom of a mine than at the top by
1/19190th part.--_Letter to James Mather, Esq., South Shields._ See
also _Professor Airy’s Lecture_, 1854.
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