Endless Amusement: A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments in Various Branches of Science; Including Acoustics, Electricity, Magnetism, Arithmetic, Hydraulics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Hydrostatics, Optics; Wonders of the Air-Pump; All the Popular Tricks and Changes of the Cards, &c., &c. to Which is Added, a Complete System of Pyrotechny; Or, the Art of Making Fire-works.Unknown
Science
Endless Amusement: A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments in Various Branches of Science; Including Acoustics, Electricity, Magnetism, Arithmetic, Hydraulics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Hydrostatics, Optics; Wonders of the Air-Pump; All the Popular Tricks and Changes of the Cards, &c., &c. to Which is Added, a Complete System of Pyrotechny; Or, the Art of Making Fire-works.
When the water rises up to F, the piece at A will be visible; when it
reaches G, both A and B will be visible; and when it comes up to H,
all three pieces will be visible.
_Artificial Earthquake and Volcano._
Grind an equal quantity of fresh iron filings with pure sulphur, till
the whole be reduced to a fine powder. Be careful not to let any wet
come near it. Then bury about thirty pounds of it a foot deep in the
earth, and in about six or eight hours the ground will heave and
swell, and shortly after send forth smoke and flames like a burning
mountain. If the earth is raised in a conical shape, it will be no bad
miniature resemblance of one of the burning mountains.
_Artificial Illuminations._
A very pleasing exhibition may be made with very little trouble or
expense, in the following manner: Provide a box, which you fit up with
architectural designs cut out on pasteboard; prick small holes in
those parts of the building where you wish the illuminations to
appear, observing, that in proportion to the perspective, the holes
are to be made smaller; and on the near objects the holes are to be
made larger. Behind these designs thus perforated, you fix a lamp or
candle, but in such a manner that the reflection of the light shall
only shine through the holes; then placing a light of just sufficient
brilliance to show the design of the buildings before it, and making a
hole for the sight at the front end of the box, you will have a very
tolerable representation of illuminated buildings.
The best way of throwing the light in front, is to place an oiled
paper before it, which will cast a mellow gleam over the scenery, and
not diminish the effect of the illumination. This can be very easily
planned, both not to obstruct the sight, nor be seen to disadvantage.
The lights behind the picture should be very strong; and if a
magnifying glass were placed in the sight hole, it would tend greatly
to increase the effect. The box must be covered in, leaving an
aperture for the smoke of the lights to pass through.
The above exhibition can only be shown at candle-light; but there is
another way, by fixing small pieces of gold on the building, instead
of drilling the holes; which gives something like the appearance of
illumination, but by no means equal to the foregoing experiment.
N.B. It would be an improvement, if paper of various colours, rendered
transparent by oil, were placed between the lights behind and the
aperture in the buildings, as they would then resemble lamps of
different colours.
_The Cameleon Spirit._
Put into a decanter volatile spirit, in which you have dissolved
copper filings, and it will produce a fine blue. If the bottle be
stopped, the colour will disappear; but when unstopped, it will
return. This experiment may be often repeated.
_Invisible Ink._
Put litharge of lead into very strong vinegar, and let it stand
twenty-four hours. Strain it off, and let it remain till quite
settled; then put the liquor in a bottle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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