An Outline of the Sciences of Heat and Electricity |
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according acid action appears applied atmosphere atoms attracted ball battery becomes bismuth bodies boiling carbonic cause Chap charged clouds cold combination common conducting conductor consequence considerable constitute containing continues cooled copper crystals cylinder determined diminishes distance effect elasticity electricity employed equal evolved excited exhibits experiments extremity following table force freezing gases give given glass greater hence hydrogen inches increase intensity iron lead light liquid magnetic means mercury metals mixture nature nearly needle negative observed obtained oxide oxygen particles pass Phil piece plate platinum pole portion positive present pressure produced proportion quantity rays salt Sect showed silver solid solution spark specific gravity specific heat steam substances sulphuric acid Suppose surface temperature thermometer tion Trans tube vapour vessel volume weight whole wire zinc
Popular passages
Page 15 - It is on the principle that bodies weigh less in the water than they do when weighed out of it, or in the air, that water becomes the means of ascertaining their specific gravities...
Page 470 - ... acid ; upon completing the circuit the current passed freely through this solution ; no hydrogen made its appearance upon the conducting plate, but a beautiful pink coating of pure copper was precipitated upon it, and thus perpetually renewed its surface.
Page 396 - A, fig. 118. next it, being polarized, and having of course its negative force directed towards the rod and its positive force outwards ; the instant that discharge takes place between the positive force of the particle of the rod opposite the air and the negative force of the particle of air towards the rod, the whole particle of air becomes positively electrified ; and when, the next instant, the discharged part of the rod resumes its positive state by conduction from the surface of metal behind,...
Page 141 - ... since fresh parcels of it will be brought more frequently into contact, than if the atmosphere were entirely calm ; but on any agitation approaching to wind, the deposition ceases. As the amount of the diminution of temperature necessary to cause air to deposit moisture depends upon the quantity of vapor which the air con* Dr.
Page 141 - ... depression produced by radiation from some bodies may never reach it. In this case no dew could be formed upon them. It is therefore evident, that for the dewing process to begin early, and continue copiously, a very small lowering only of the heat of the atmospheric particles should be necessary. The temperature of the atmosphere usually sinks considerably after sunset, and is often 20° or 30° colder than during the day. Hence, in such cases, it must approach much nearer the point of depositing...
Page 539 - ... and will cause it to assume the vesicular state, constituting a cloud. Thus we can see, in general, how clouds come to be formed, and how they contain electricity. This electricity may be either vitreous or resinous, according to circumstances. And it is conceivable that, by long-continued opposite currents of air, the charge accumulated in a cloud may be considerable.
Page 188 - Black applied his theory of latent heat to this conversion with great sagacity, and demonstrated that it is owing to the very same cause as the conversion of solids into liquids ; namely, to the combination of a certain dose of caloric with the liquid without any increase of temperature. The truth of this very important point was established by the following experiments. First. When a vessel of water is put upon the fire, the water gradually becomes hotter till it reaches 212°; afterwards its temperature...
Page 272 - When a combustible body is raised to a certain temperature, it begins to combine with the oxygen of the atmosphere, and this oxygen, during its combination, lets go the caloric and light with which it was combined while in the gaseous state : hence their appearance during every combustion ; hence also the change which the combustible undergoes in consequence of combustion.
Page 539 - And it is conceivable, that by long continued opposite currents of air, the charge accumulated in a cloud may be considerable. Now, when two clouds charged, the one with vitreous, and the other with resinous electricity, happen to approach within a certain distance, the thickness of the coating of electricity increases on the two sides of the clouds which are nearest each other. This accumulation of thickness soon becomes so great as to overcome the pressure of the atmosphere, and a discharge takes...
Page 259 - Treatise on Heat and Electricity, 8vo., London, 1830, p. 309: — " Flame is the rapid combustion of volatilized matter. The tallow or the wax is melted and drawn up to the top of the wick of a candle. Here it is boiled and converted into vapour, which ascends in th
Bibliographic information
| Title | An Outline of the Sciences of Heat and Electricity |
| Author | Thomas Thomson |
| Edition | 2 |
| Publisher | London, 1840 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 30 Sep 2005 |
| Length | 585 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |