Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
As to infinite _Surface_ or _Area_, any right Line, infinitely extended
both ways on an infinite Plane, does divide that infinite Plane into
equal Parts; the one to the right, and the other to the left of the said
Line: But if from any Point in such a Plane, two right Lines be
infinitely extended, so as to make an Angle, the infinite Area,
intercepted between those infinite right Lines, is to the whole infinite
Plane, as the Arch of a Circle, on the Point of Concourse of those
Lines, as a Centre, intercepted between the said Lines, is to the
Circumference of the Circle; or as the Degrees of the Angle to the 360
Degrees of a Circle. For Example, two right Lines meeting at a right
Angle do include, on an infinite Plane, a quarter part of the whole
infinite Area of such a Plane.
But if so be, two parallel infinite Lines be supposed drawn on such an
infinite Plane, the Area intercepted between them will be likewise
infinite; but at the same time will be infinitely less, than that Space
which is intercepted between two infinite Lines that are inclined,
though with never so small an Angle; for that in the one Case, the given
finite distance of the parallel Lines diminishes the Infinity in one
Degree of Dimension; whereas in a Sector, there is Infinity in both
Dimensions; and consequently, the Quantities are the one infinitely
greater than the other, and there is no proportion between them.
From the same Consideration arise the Three several Species of infinite
Space or Solidity, as has been said; for a Parallelepipede, or a
Cylinder, infinitely long, is greater than any finite Magnitude how
great soever; and all such Solids, supposed to be formed on given Bases,
are as those Bases, in proportion to one another. But if two of these
three Dimensions are wanting, as in the Space intercepted between two
parallel Planes infinitely extended, and at a finite distance; or with
infinite Length and Breadth, with a finite Thickness; All such Solids
shall be as the given finite distances one to another: But these
Quantities, though infinitely greater than the other, are yet infinitely
less than any of those, wherein all the three Dimensions are infinite.
Such are the Spaces intercepted between two inclined Planes infinitely
extended; the Space intercepted by the Surface of a Cone, or the sides
of a Pyramid likewise infinitely continued, _&c._ of all which
notwithstanding, the Proportions one to another, and to the τὸ πᾶν, or
vast Abyss of infinite Space (wherein is the _Locus_ of all things that
are or can be; or to the Solid of infinite Length, Breadth, and
Thickness, taken all manner of ways) are easily assignable. For the
Space between two Planes, is to the whole, as the Angle of those Planes
to the 360 Degrees of the Circle. As for Cones and Pyramids, they are as
the Spherical Surface, intercepted by them, is to the Surface of the
Sphere; and therefore Cones are as the versed Sines of half their
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