or this shows that the density of the ether to give a pressure of 500
tons per square inch would be only 1/5,000,000th of the density of the
atmosphere. This value representing a density less than that of the
best gaseous _vacua_ is therefore quite consistent with the known fact
of the extremely low density of the ether. It follows, therefore, as a
mathematical certainty dependent on the recognised principles belonging
to gaseous bodies, that the ether could exert a pressure of not less
than 500 tons per square inch consistent with such an extremely low
density as to harmonize with observation."
If the ether is possessed of a density equal to that shown above, then
the density of our original nebula must have been greater than what we
have shown it to be. The density we found for it was 1/403,000,000th
that of air, or 0·000000002481 of an atmosphere, and 1/5,264,800th is
equal to 0·00000019 of an atmosphere; if then we add these two together
we get 0·0000001925 of an atmosphere as the density of our nebula.
This comes to be very slightly greater than the density of the ether,
and shows that the estimate in the foregoing quotation is too high;
unless it is asserted that the ether can exert no frictional action
at all, which, we believe, no one has ever done; while the absolute
temperature of the nebula at the new density would be 0·000053°,
which would be a very small addition indeed to the 0·00000068°, we
found for it at first. On the other hand, when the nebula was reduced
to 29,000,000 miles in diameter the density of the ether would have
increased its density from 0·1788, which we showed it then to have,
only to 0·17880019 of an atmosphere, which would make no appreciable
difference on its temperature, and would be so immensely greater than
the 0·00000019 of an atmosphere of the ether that it could hardly
be supposed to have any effect in retarding the rotation of so much
heavier a body. And should it be found that the density of the ether
is 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 less, or even a great deal more, than that shown
in the above quotation, it would only have proportionately less effect
on our nebula, in every sense, than what we have just shown. We may,
therefore, conclude that the introduction of the element ether has not
vitiated our operations in any way up till now, and we shall leave it
until we have acquired more knowledge of its nature and effects.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account