The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-05-12
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particles of to each ether. Re iets OF, With
obferving" that we often fee fmall bodies of ire-
ei6c gravity, much exceeding that of water, float up
an the iurfaee of that hud. Such for example, are
very mali grains of fand. fine filings of the metals,
and Email fewing needles. So extraordinary i
phenomenon has failed excite the attention of
philosophers. and this is intimately connected with
iubled of reiearch upon which have been long
employed, hall here give an account of lome exps-
rimeuts have made elucidate the fame, and which
have afforded refults of comfortable intereft. Suf-
pe6finy that the prefence of air adhering to shefe
fma floating bodies, which is generally conldered
as the eaute of their fufpenion indeipenably
receary for the fuccels of the experiment. made the
following experiment Having half filed with
water, wine glafs inch and an half diameter al
It's edge, poured the fnrface of the ira
tnm Off ,hurc ether inch and half in thick
nefs; and when the whole perfectly Till, I took
very fnial fswing needle with pait of rncers,
which introduced below the ether, where holding
1t horizontally AZ fn,a ditance from the furace of
the water. let 1t fall. The needle defended to the
water and there hoa,ed on its furface. made the
next experiment. with granuated tin, which defend
ed through the ether, and hen it arrived at the fur
face OF the water, it remained floating then
ducei drop of mercury into fpherues of about
fxtieth of an inch III diameter which carefully
veysd into the eratnm of ether, through which it de-
fcendcd the furfaee CT the and there remain
ed floating.
When the eye was placed lower tnan the lur-
face of the water, and the fpherue Ubierved by
looking upwards through the gluisie appeared fuf
pended in kind Of bag, little below the level ofthe
furface Having placed fecond fpherue of Inercury
on the furfase of the water, it immediately moved
towards the former, AMI aPproa ching it with an
CELEBRATED motion, fell down into the fame cavity
which then became longer; but the fpherues
did not unite. Having placed third fPhsrule on
the urfaee ofshe water, Joined the two Others but
the weight OF thefe three fpheres together being
grea, to be iupported by the kind O. pecle which is
formed at the Gurface of the water, the bag was
broken and the fpheruses offended through the wa
ter to the bottom of the veGc. When the expert.
1nent made with fphcrule of mercury, it:le
larger, namely abou. the fo-tieth fttieth of an
inch, ieneyer failed break tls pelici- of the
ter, and to defend through that liquid the bottom,
of the glafs. But when the vifcidty of the water
was increatsd By diffolving fnaIl quantity of gum
arabic in it, ftill larger ipheruIes of mercury
fup?orted at the frrface of the liquid.
:" The experiments fucceed equally well when
oil is poured the nftead OF ether, but they
will not anfwer with alcohol. In order examine
the kind of film which is formed the ursace Of the
water, the following experiment made: Into
cylindrical glsis about inch and half in diane
ter. and ten inches in height, poured fome very
clear to- the height of nine inches On the
ter placed aratuni of ether quarter Of an
iuch thick "a number OF lmail fold bodies, fIch
1phcrule Of mercury, lone pieces OF extremely fine i'll
wire, and little powder of tin which remained
iu(pended They continued in the fame ltate after
the veiel had been turned round its axis fevera
times with comfortable rapidly. All the imall bo-
dies fufpended the furiace of the water, turned
round along with the glals and topped when i, was
topped but the liquid below the furace did
at rtt begin along with the ga!s, and its
motion of rotation did not csafe all at upon
Hopping tlat of the veGtl. Ia :aa, all the appear
ances fevei that there was real pec!e ct the far
e Oh
attached to the .ides of the glafs 10 along
with it.
"Upon examinixg with good magnifer through
the f.ratum of ether, the fnail bodies which
Imported the furfacc of the water, the exience
Of this pellcie could longer he doubted more par
ticularly when it touched with the point CT
needle. For in this cafe ali tie ln,ali bodies
cbferved To tremble at the fame time.
Having left this nlali apparatus at repoie in
quiet chamber until the Araun Of ether entirely
evaporated, examined it again .yi;h nnagniter.-
The iuriaee Of the water preci!e!y IN the lame
Iiate the '.,a!l fold bodies fill there, the
fame ftuatoa and i. the fame diRances from each
ther.
When this experiment made with cylin-
d ica ;!af, of much larger diameter, the effects OF
The adhelon of the pellice of the TO the Gdes
ut the velrl, were mnch lcfs ienGble, with regard
10 thote parts Of she fame which uated near
thq axis 4; was difficult TO prevent the fmall bo
uniting, and Nhen united they o!;en formed niaigs
900 heavy to continue be "a ported ana having
broke the pelice OF the water ;hcy fell TO the bot
tom of the veHs!. lfthe particles of water adh4rs
frOngy each oti,r II appears as neceiiary con-
feqaence thar kind of llice viii be formed at the
iurface of the liquid When f"s fold body placed
on the lufface o. the water, becomes we;:ed ii I'M
mediateiy defends Beneath the pellcle. Then the
vcidty Of the water begins to mar'ieit itis.f in
different Il, inner, but viii! much le et than when
it a2s at the boundaries Of the liquid.
With view to render ltGiibIc the rehaance
which the pelcle of the inferior iurfsce OF the fra
tun OF water oppofes fold body which pahes
through that dratuAi falling freely downwar,is, the
following experiment was made. Having flied
vine gllis To about hall its height .yiih very pure
mercury, itratum Of water aqu-rteI Ui 81 inch
ih.ck was poured upon il, and upon thAt dratum
Of ether one GSth of an inch *. When the Whole
was at ref pheru!a Of il..cuy was let fail THO
the ether, which being too heavy to he Imported by
the peee the ~ psrior furfdte OF the broke
st. and defended but upon It's arrival TIE Inferior
furface It yrs nopped and remained there pr.lervinE
lie peliicr form. IL was no doubt the pecIe Of the
inferior fufflee OF the water which prefeuted this
contAa, ana as this pellieie Imported by the
mercury it Is rot furPrifi=g that it could lupPort
without being br"kr IN, irferula Of mercury much
larger than the peiiics Of the hyperion fu'fdce could
furoort The experiment was then igisd @ish a 70.
luton VI gun arabic in water in the place Of pure
wncr And Il was found tsat niseh larger irherules
OF water were fuPPorted when the viicIdity of the
water was thus iucreai.j
70 prove ths fat IL another manner, the ex-