On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences - Mary Somerville - Google Books

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CONTENTS.

Attraction of a Sphere — Form of Celestial Bodies — Terrestrial Gravi-

tation retains the Moon in her Orbit -- The Heavenly Bodies move in

Conic Sections Gravitation Proportional to Mass - Gravitation of

the Particles of Matter — Figure of the Planets - How it affects the

Motions of their Satellites - Rotation and Translation impressed by the

same Impulse — Motion of the Sun and Solar System

Elliptical Motion - Mean and True Motion Equinoctial

Equinoxes — Mean and True Longitude - Equation of Centre — In-

clination of the Orbits of Planets Celestial Latitude Nodes

Elements of an Orbit - Undisturbed or Elliptical Orbits - Great In-

clination of the Orbits of the New Planets - Universal Gravitation the

Cause of Perturbations in the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies — Problem

of the Three Bodies — Stability of Solar System depends upon the Pri-

mitive Momentum of the Bodies

Perturbations, Periodic and Secular — Disturbing Action equivalent to

three Partial Forces - Tangential Force the cause the Periodic In-

equalities in Longitude, and Secular Inequalities in the Form and Position

of the Orbit in its own Plane · Radial Force the cause of Variations in

the Planet's Distance from the Sun - It combines with the Tangential

Force to produce the Secular Variations in the Form and Position of the

Orbit in its own Plane - Perpendicular Force the cause of Periodic

Perturbations in Latitude, and Secular Variations in the Position of the

Orbit with regard to the Plane of the Ecliptic — Mean Motion and

Major Axis Invariable — Stability of System - Effects of a Resisting

Medium — Invariable Plane of the Solar System and of the Universe

Great Inequality of Jupiter and Saturn

Theory of Jupiter's Satellites - Effects of the Figure of Jupiter upon his

Satellites Position of their Orbits — Singular Laws among the Motions

of the first Three Satellites — Eclipses of the Satellites — Velocity of

Light Aberration Ethereal Medium Satellites of Saturn and

Lunar Theory — Periodic Perturbations of the Moon — Equation of Centre

- Evection Variation — Annual Equation Direct and Indirect

Action of Planets - The Moon's Action on the Earth disturbs her own

Motion — Excentricity and Inclination of Lunar Orbit invariable

Acceleration Secular Variation in Nodes and Perigee - Motion of

Nodes and Perigee inseparably connected with the Acceleration

Nutation of Lunar Orbit - Form and Internal Structure of the Earth

determined from it — Lunar, Solar, and Planetary Eclipses Occulta-

tions and Lunar Distances · Mean Distance of the Sun from the Earth

obtained from Lunar Theory Absolute Distances of the Planets, how

Form of the Earth and Planets — Figure of a Homogeneous Spheroid in

Rotation — Figure of a Spheroid of variable Density — Figure of the

Earth, supposing it to be an Ellipsoid of Revolution — Mensuration of a

Degree of the Meridian - Compression and Size of the Earth from

Degrees of Meridian – Figure of Earth from the Pendulum .. 44

Parallax — Lunar Parallax found from Direct Observation - Solar Parallax

deduced from the Transit of Venus Distance of the Sun from the

Earth - Annual Parallax - Distance of the Fixed Stars

Masses of Planets that have no Satellites determined from their Perturba-

tions Masses of the others obtained from the Motions of their Satel-

lites — Masses of the Sun, the Earth, of Jupiter and of the Jovial

System Mass of the Moon - Real Diameters of Planets, how obtained

- Size of Sun, Densities of the Heavenly Bodies — Formation of Astro-

nomical Tables — Requisite Data and Means of obtaining them 55

Rotation of the Sun and Planets Saturn's Rings — Periods of the Rota-

tion of the Moon and other Satellites equal to the Periods of their Revo-

lutions · Form of Lunar Spheroid — Libration, Aspect, and Constitution

of the Moon — Rotation of Jupiter's Satellites

Rotation of the Earth invariable · Decrease in the Earth's mean Tempera-

ture - · Earth originally in a state of Fusion - Length of Day constant

Decrease of Temperature ascribed by Sir John Herschel to the varia-

tion in the Excentricity of the Terrestrial Orbit — Difference the

Temperature of the two Hemispheres erroneously ascribed to the Excess

in the Length of Spring and Summer in the Southern Hemisphere; attri-

buted by Sir Charles Lyell to the Operation of existing Causes -- Three

principal Axes of Rotation — Position of the Axis of Rotation on the

Surface of the Earth invariable - Ocean not sufficient to restore the

Equilibrium of the Earth if deranged Its Density and mean Depth

- Internal Structure of the Earth

Precession and Nutation - Their Effects on the Apparent Places of the

Mean and Apparent Sidereal Time - Mean and Apparent Solar Time-

Equation of Time — English and French Subdivisions of Time - Leap

Year Christian Era — - Equinoctial Time - Remarkable Eras de-

pending upon the Position of the Solar Perigee — Inequality of the

Lengths of the Seasons in the two Hemispheres — Application of Astro-

nomy to Chronology - English and French Standards of Weights and

Tides — Forces that produce them — Origin and Course of Tidal Wave-

Its Speed — Three kinds of Oscillations in the Ocean — The Semidiurnal

Tides - Equinoctial Tides — Effects of the Declination of the Sun and

Moon Theory insufficient without Observation — Direction of the

Tidal Wave - Height of Tides — Mass of Moon obtained from her

Action on the Tides — Interference of Undulations - Impossibility of a

Universal Inundation - Currents ..

Molecular Forces — Permanency of the ultimate Particles of Matter -

Interstices — Mossotti's Theory - Rankin's Theory of Molecular Vor-

tices — Gases reduced to Liquids by Pressure - Gravitation of Particles

Cohesion - Crystallization - Cleavage- Isomorphism Minuteness

of the Particles – Height of Atmosphere — Chemical Affinity- Definite

Proportions and Relative Weights of Atoms — Faraday's Discovery with

regard to Affinity - Capillary Attraction

Analysis of the Atmosphere – Its pressure Law of Decrease in Density

Law of Decrease in Temperature — Measurement of Heights by the

Barometer — Extent of the Atmosphere — Barometrical Variations -

Oscillations - Trade-Winds Cloud-Ring — Monsoons Rotation of

Winds — Laws of Hurricanes

Sound — Propagation of Sound illustrated by a Field of Standing Corn

Nature of Waves — Propagation of Sound through the Atmosphere

Intensity — Noises — A Musical Sound — Quality · Pitch - Extent of

Human Hearing Velocity of Sound in Air, Water, and Solids -

Causes of the Obstruction of Sound Law of its Intensity -- Reflection

of Sound Echoes Thunder Refraction of Sound - Interference

Vibration of Musical Strings Harmonic Sounds — Nodes — Vibration of

Air in Wind-Instruments - Vibration of Solids — Vibrating Plates

Bells — Harmony — Sounding Boards - Forced Vibrations Resonance

- Speaking Machines

Refraction - Astronomical Refraction and its Laws. - Formation of Tables

of Refraction — Terrestrial Refraction — Its Quantity — Instances of

Extraordinary Refraction — Reflection - Instances of Extraordinary Re-

flection — Loss of Light by the Absorbing Power of the Atmosphere -

Apparent Magnitude of Sun and Moon in the Horizon

Constitution of Light according to Sir Isaac Newton — Absorption of Light

· Colours of Bodies · Constitution of Light according to Sir David

Brewster — New Colours - Fraunhofer's Dark Lines Dispersion of

Light — The Achromatic Telescope — Homogeneous Light — Accidental

and Complementary Colours - M. Plateau's Experiments and Theory

of Accidental Colours

Interference of Light — Undulatory Theory of Light – Propagation of

Light— Newton's Rings — Measurement of the Length of the Waves of

Light, and of the Frequency of the Vibrations of Ether for each Colour

Newton's Scale of Colours — Diffraction of Light --- Sir John Her-

schel's Theory of the Absorption of Light - Refraction and Reflection of

Polarization of Light - Defined — Polarization by Refraction - Properties

of the Tourmaline — Double Refraction — All doubly Refracted Light is

Polarized Properties of Iceland Spar - Tourmaline absorbs one of the

two Refracted Rays Undulations of Natural Light Undulations of

Polarized Light – The Optic Axes of Crystals — M. Fresnels Disco-

veries on the Rays passing along the Optic Axis · Polarization by

Phenomena exhibited by the Passage of Polarized Light through Mica and

Sulphate of Lime The Coloured Images produced by Polarized Light

passing through Crystals having one and two Optic Axes — Circular

Polarization - Elliptical Polarization — Discoveries of MM. Biot, Fresnel,

and Professor Airy Coloured Images produced by the Interference of

Polarized Rays — Fluorescence

Objections to the Undulatory Theory, from a difference in the Action of

Sound and Light under the same circumstances, removed — The Disper-

sion of Light according to the Undulatory Theory - Arago's final proof

that the Undulatory Theory is the Law of Nature

Chemical or Photographic Rays of Solar Spectrum — Scheele, Ritter, and

Wollaston's Discoveries Wedgwood's and Sir Humphry Davy's Photo-

graphic Pictures — The Calotype — The Daguerreotype The Chroma-

Collodion Sir John Herschel's Discoveries in

the Chemical Spectrum — M. Becquerel's Discoveries of Inactive Lines

in ditto — Thermic Spectrum - Phosphoric Spectrum Electrical Pro-

perties — Parathermic Rays — Moser and Hunt's Experiments Gene-

ral Structure and antagonist Properties of Solar Spectrum Defracted

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Size and Constitution of the Sun The Solar Spots

Intensity of the

Sun's Light and Heat — The Sun's Atmosphere - - His influence on the

Planets Atmospheres of the Planets — The Moon has none — Lunar

heat — The Differential Telescope - Temperature of Space — Internal

Heat of the Earth - - Zone of constant Temperature - Increase of Heat

with the Depth — Central Heat — Volcanic Action - Quantity of Heat

received from the Sun — Isogeothermal Lines — Line of Perpetual Con-

gelation — Climate — Isothermal Lines — Same quantity of Heat an-

nually received and radiated by the Earth

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