Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part.

  • Charleton, Walter, 1620-1707.
Date:
1654
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    An. 2. The cmineiir Ph^nomcnfin of an Aeroiiif pet, or I'i i/iii- Oun, foivcd by a Vacuity Uif- leminatc a- mong the in- cnnriguoiir (quoad totiit jupetficics ^ pares of atr. Art. 5. Experinnenr Take we z Pneimatique ox Wind-Ctm^ and let that part of the Tube, wherein the Acr to be comprefled is included, be four inches long (the diameter of the bore or Cavity being fuppofed proportionate: ) now if among the particles of that aer contained in the four inched fpace of the tube, there be no empty Intervals, or minute Inanities *, then of ncccflity muft the mafs of Aer included be exactly ad.'equate to the capacity or fpace of four inches, fo as t^re cannot be the Icaft particle of place, wherein is not a particle of acr xqual in di- mcnfions to it, i. e. the number of the particles of acr is equal to the number of the particles of the Cavity. Suppofc we then the number of particles common to both, to be locoo. This done, let the acr, by the Rammer artificially intruded , be comprcfTcd to the half of the fpace ( not that the compreflfion may not exceed that rate, for Merfennus {in frxf. ad Hjdraulicam Pneurnaticam tem.) hath by a moft ingenious demonftration taught, that Acr is capable of Compreflion even to the tenth part of that fpace, which it pofleffed in the natural dilpofition , or open order of its infcnfiblc particles: ) and then we demand, how that half fpace, 'ui‘{. two inches, can receive the double proportion of Acr, fince the particles of that half fpace are but 50C0. Either we muft grant that, before' compreflion, each Tingle particle of Acr poflefled two particles of fpace, which is manifeftly abfurd : or, that after Compreflion, each Tingle parti¬ cle of Tpacc doth contain two of acr, which is alfo abfurd,fincc two bodies cannot at once poflefs the fame place: or clfe, that there were various In¬ tervals Inane diflcminatc among the particles of Acr, and then Tolvcthc Pha-nomcnon thus. As the Grains of Corn, or Granules of Sand, being powred into a vcflcl op to the brim, feem wholly to fill it, and yet by fuc- cufllon of the vcflcl, or dcprcflion of the grains upon the impoTition of a oreat weight, may be reduced into a far Icfs fpace •, bccaufc from a more Ta^and rarc^ they arc brought to a more clofc and-conftipatc con¬ geries , or becaufc they arc reduced from an open, to a clofc or¬ der , their points and Tides being more adapted for reciprocal con- xz€t quoad totas fuperjicies, nor leaving fuch large Intervals betwixt them^as before fuccuflion or dcprcflion. So likcwife arc the par¬ ticles of aer included in the four-inched fpace of the Tube, by Compreflion or Coanguftation reduced downe to the implction of oncly the half of that fpace ^ becaufc from a more lax or rare Con. texture they are contraded into a more denfe or clofe, their an¬ gles and fides being by that force more difpofed for reciprocal Con- tingcncc, and leaving lefs Intervals, or empty fpaces betwixt them then before. Our Second Experiment is that familiar one of an MolipiU which ofan^oi/p/e. havinc» onc half of its Concavity replete with Water , and the other BeiiowTe- with Act, and placed in a right pofition near the fire : if you will not ftineavlcuity allow any of the fpaces within it to be empty, pray, when the Water Diir^n.inaif. , jncalcfccnce rarefied into vapours, iflucs out with thundering impetuo- fity through the flender perforation or exile outlet of its roftrum, fuccef- fively for many hours together, how can the fame Capacity ftill re¬ main full ^ For , if before’ incalefadion the particles of Water and Acr were equal to the number of the particles of fpace con¬ tained therein 5 Pray, when fo many parts both of Water and Acr, confociated