The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, February 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
History
The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, February 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
We have seen, too, that motion can be produced by heat—as by the
production of steam which drives the engine; also that light can cause
motion, as in the growth and nutrition of plants; and it remains only
in this brief summary of an immense subject, to remind the reader
that electricity and magnetism can also both of them produce motion,
not merely amongst atoms, but even in large masses, by means of their
attractions and repulsions. Rub a piece of sealing-wax or glass with
cloth or silk, and the friction will cause such a change of state in
the glass or wax as to set free electricity, and this force, thus made
evident by motion (rubbing), can itself produce motion by attracting
pieces of paper, etc.; indeed, by using well-known methods you may lift
hundreds of pounds’ weight.
So likewise as to magnetism; it can produce motion, as we see in the
oscillation of the needle of the mariner’s compass—the attraction by a
magnet of iron filings, etc.
From the above short survey of this marvelous subject, it can, I hope,
be understood by the reader that in the co-related forces we have a
most striking—nay! miraculous instance of “continuity”—that is to
say, that the force, or essence, or energy, whatever it may be and
whatever you may call it, that constitutes heat, light, etc., etc., is
never lost, but merely changes from one form, or kind, or state, into
another, in a perpetual series of everlasting transformations, each one
form being capable of producing: or changing into one or more of the
others—motion, for example, being readily transformed into heat, or
heat into motion, etc.
My illustrations have necessarily been scanty, and my explanations
brief, but I hope I have adduced sufficient to show the unscientific
that in the six correlative powers we have a protean force which is
able to assume the most astounding changes and varieties of form,
according to some mechanical law we are totally unacquainted with.
But what is the real nature of this force or forces?
As to this I can say but little: it is one of the mysteries of
creation. Experiment demonstrates that heat and light are kindred in
their mechanical constitutions, and that they consist of vibrations of
a “something” which is called ether, and it seems pretty certain that
this “wave theory” is correct; but why they vibrate we do not know.
Then of the nature of magnetism and electricity we know even less,
and can only say they are changes of the state of “something” which
produces changes in the state of other things, both of matter and
forces.
Some persons have thought that whereas light consists probably of the
vibrations of “ether” in a particular manner, so, that electricity and
magnetism may depend also on different kinds of strain or wave motion
of this same “ether,”—either of that of space, or of the “ether” that
permeates all substances. But, of course, this is all hypothesis.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account