Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881
Various
Science -- Periodicals
The force of attraction, as I have said, tends to draw the particles
of matter together and hold them in a state of rest; but as this force
is inherent, the degree of power thus exerted is in an inverse ratio
to the distance of the particles from each other. The effective force
so exerted is always balanced by an equivalent amount of the force of
caloric, and that modicum of caloric so engaged in balancing the
effective force of attraction is static, because occluded in that
work.
In solid or fluid bodies, where the molecules are held in a local or
near relation to each other, the amount of static caloric will be in
direct proportion to the effective force of attraction, but in gaseous
bodies the static caloric is in an inverse ratio to the effective
force of attraction; hence the amount of static caloric present in
solid and fluid bodies will be greatest when the molecules are nearest
each other, and greatest in gaseous bodies when the molecules are
furthest apart.
Caloric, whether static or dynamic, is not phenomenal; therefore the
phenomena of light, temperature, incandescence, luminosity, heat,
cold, and motion, as well as all other phenomena, are due to the
movement of matter caused by the physical forces. Thus we find that
_temperature is a phenomenal measure of molecular velocity_, as we
consider weight to be the measure of matter.
An increase of temperature denotes an increased molecular velocity,
and this in solid and liquid bodies unlocks a portion of the static
caloric and converts it into dynamic caloric, while an increased
temperature of gases occludes additional caloric, thus converting
dynamic into static caloric; and a reduction of molecular activity
reverses this action. From this we see that a change of temperature
either converts static to dynamic or dynamic to static caloric.
Thus we find that the amount of static caloric which a body possesses
is in direct relation to its temperature, but, as I have already
explained, temperature is a phenomenal indication of molecular
velocity, and as increased velocity separates the molecules to a
greater distance, which reduces the effective force of attraction and
unlocks a portion of caloric, it will be seen that the separation of
the molecules from any other cause will have the same effect. I desire
now to explain a second method by which the molecules are separated
and static caloric is changed to dynamic caloric.
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