Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-04-30
gravity, he then proceeds
ton: Rejecting the law,nval

| day as the true law, nafntE, wholesale Dealers III |
rdries inrersely as the Dry Goods
endeavors to prove thu Ne'6 Wiism St. to Nos
the distances from the Broadway, Where they res
Re may not appear to en- q Merchants Writing the
Newton and the world cock Of Sta lie T. Fancy Dry
truth of the received laws : lowest market prices
their example, but dedv
result. i2
Our author edmits Il the earths se----------
| semi diameter and the noon 60 emi-diameters L.
earth from the earths centre-that heavy BODY nj
the surface Of the earth will fall l6 feet the frs, Sec
ond and at the distance cfhe moon 10 feet in the first
minute OF its fall and n Dreover that falling bodies
at all distances observe he same laws, viz that the
spaces passed over IN successive equal portions of time
reckoncd from the beginning OF the tall will be the
odd numbers |, 3, 5, Z, &c.-that the whole spaces
passed over from the beginning of the fall at the end
oil the successive equal portions of time will be the
squares OF the times as 1a=l, gal, 32=y, 42=l6,
Tc.--and that the even numbers =, 4. g. 3, &c will
denote the spaces which would be passed over in the
successive portions OF time by the velocity acquired in
falling to the of these spaces suppos-
ing the motion to be uniform from those points, or in
other words they represent that part of the motion
which is not accelerated but is the effect of the force
previously impressed.
Now it body the surface of the earth fall l5 feet
m the ltst second, i will, in accordance with these
laws, fall (60x6O= 5000 times l6 feet in the first min.
ute, or foot the first quarter OF second and il a
body at the distance OF the fall 16 feet in the first
minute will tall l6 36O0=l22j of foot in the first
second, and 10 of l-225=) l-360O OF foot in the
hrsi "ner.er c! a second And hence, since the fall in
the same time is 5000 times great the earths sur
lace as at the distance OF the moon and the distance
OF the moon is 60 times the distance of the earhs
ace from It's centre, and since $500 is the square OF 60
I Newton and others have inferred that the force OF
gravity, which is the of the fall of bodies in
rersefy as the squares Of the distances But Mr.
Young says not the force is not inyesev as the
squares OF the distances bu, nversely as the distances
and he Processes to draw his conclusions from the
premises above stated.
We deem it needless, as we acknowledge it would
b. difficult, to follow the course ofour authors reason.
AZ IA this chapter, it being like the track of a crab
IN the sand but since readers will, doubtless ex.
pect us to say something of the process by which he
draws from the same facts and phenomena conclusion,
which are directly opposite to those Obtained by 9TH
ers, we Will endeavor TO do it in few words
;. On page lo1 we find this statement, to which we
shall not object:
i IF one body commence falling nj the distance I n,
the same time that body commences falling at the
distance 90, the velocity OF the body at the distance
VIII be 3bUU times as great as that the distance 60
any given instant OF time during their continued
fail"
lie then lays it down an established principle tina
alaiilg body IN passing over any given space from tn,
beginning OF the fall has exactly the gravatin!
force impressed upon It, without regard to the time
falling, or its distance from the centre towards which
it falls: that is, the same force of gravity is mpresse,
upon body. while falling through l6 feet at tn
earths surface as Is impressed upon il while taln!
through 10 feet the distance of the NOON and sine
1t requires 60 seconds at the distance of the moon ant
only one second at the surface of the earth for bod
TO fall l6 feet therefore the force of gravity at IN
OF the moon, and the distance of the surface from til
earths centre being only l-60h the distance of tn
moon the force OF gravity is iarersely the distdnc,
| The above We believe to be n fair statement OF on
authors argument, Invested of its circuInlocution
repetitions and abusive epithes, and a person II,
familiar with the subject there may be some appear
ance OF p!auslbity, but by moments reflection
Will appear that very important matter is entre
overlooked He says that il requires the same fore
to carry falling body through l6 feet a, the disanc
OF the moon as at the surface of the earth and he
doubtless rlunt reuaruS nctuolly
{ hausted IN passing over the 6 feet But according
the law which he himself lays down, the end OF II
! cease. the body at the distance of the moon will ha,
acquired velocity by which it will proceed onward
: the rate of 533, or but little than half foot y,
u second while that at the surface of the earth will ha
u acquired velocity by which 1t would proceed at I'll
rate OF 8? feet per second. And now we will asl
whence this difference II each hns had the sam
amount OF i1rce Impressed upon it during its passaa
through the Is feet why has one acquired velocity !
the end OF the 10 feet which would carry it onward
/, without any further influence from gravity, lust
: times as fast as the otherl
In order that it should be true that each of the IA
ing bodies has the same amount of force impresse
upon IT, while passing through the l6 feet ut the di-
tances above mentioned it should appear either thu
the whole effect is in both cases confined IN the
feet, that at the end OF the Is feet both are unde
i the same amount OF the influence of the force i'm
pressed. But when, after passing equal Space
we ma one OF the bodies moving AT the of half
loot and the other - feet in a second can we beliey
that each has had the amount of force Impress.
. upon 1t |! The truth is, Mr.. Young's own exaunl,
when reduced to order, affords clear contirmaiio
OF The Newtonian law that person, but himself ca
1void being convinced by it for il, as he acknow
edges the effects within the IL eet Indicate force
the surface OF the earth GO times as great as al TN
moon me Veocities acquired at the end of the l6 fee
, also indicate force 60 times great at the earth
surface as at thu moon, and 6ox6O=360O which is tn
square OF the distance
After the elaborate discussion of the law of rrayit,
which we have been considering our author refers
the motions OF the heavenly bodies for couiirna,io
OF ms views, and endeavors TO make it appear tha
the whole SYSTEM OF modern astronomy is built upo
laiscnood ana error but our limits will not permit
10 ioIow MN IN ms attempted application OF his ne,
, quddrdfure and idn To the planetary motions "
VIII, however, briefly test his law by one of his ow
i examples lie says hat. II two planets revove aroun
the same centre, at the distance and at the di.
lance both being retained in their orbits bv TN. tore
= ct gravity, the velocity OF the planet A will be ,wic
) that OF but that II another planet d be made to re-
volye az inc distance T. with twice the velocity ofC,
would require times the force to retain il in the orb
that Is eNerted On L. The planet ID then moyin
twice as fis as would have the slme velocity as
at the distance l. This no one will dispute Now
suppose ID, retaining twire the velocity of G. an,
therefore having the requisite velocity to move in iii
orbit be removed from the distance to the distanc
l. Tine question then arises. Does it not repair
more force 10 retain planet in orbit the dstanc
than at the dlstace both havIag the velocity
Mr. oungs law OF gravity be the true law il doc
Y not require any more, but exactly the same at bot
= distances,
= OF tins question 10 any person who will undertake
run round post AT the OF 10 feet per second rur
ming, alternately, two circles, one at the disanc
OF feet and the other at the distance of - feet iol
the post ii such person. after the trial, shall honest
# say that II requires effort to keep on III
inner than on the outer circle, at the uniform spec
above mentioned, we promise that we will not argu
Is the matter with him.
o The truth is, any one, but Mr. Young can il i
the foregoing example, that doubling the velocity
= y requires times the force, aud quadrupng the dc
o lection by bringing ID into or,l, fourth i
distance, also requires times the force, and ixi=l,
the square OF the distance L, exactly verifying iii
= Newtunian law which makes the force of gravity IN
\ uerse.y as The squares of the distances.
= Having disposed ut our authors two iundament;
principles, namely his Of the circle and N
iar Of CRAFTY, shall not dwell upon his appica
ton OF them, IN his third and fourth chapters To t
eternal rounds of the heavenly bodies and to the ton
c o the planetary orbits since he says expressly that
is not much his intention to establish the paticula
c form OF the orbits as 10 promugate the true law
: gravity" We would however here remark thai h
is continually throwing insinuaons that the labo
OF astronomers consist almost entirely OF efforts 10 nd
Just opposite by the use ot equations and m,
the adoption OF his quadature and law OF gravity wonl
a relieve them from all this drudgery. 1t would apnen
Il from what he says that, upon his principles he cor
slders no equation excepting. perh ps, that for eccer
trcity, To be needful IN deducng the true place of IN
T. planet IN It's orbit from Its mean motion What a nil
e that he has not furnished us his table of the moon
motion, and shown US by an example hotc the moon
II true Longitude may be thus easily calculated On
such table and example, clearly expressed would hay
been tar satisfactory test of the truth of his A,
o symptoms than all his array OF roots and powers