Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-09-11
MECHANISM.


In mathematics an empty cask and a
stick OF timber are both solids also, tum-
bier of water and bar Of iron, an empty
room and block of granite, a cave aud a
mountain, perfect vacuum and mass of
platna. The terms arr, gas, yapor, liquid,
aud vacuum have no place IA pure mathe-
mates; they belong 10 chemistry Any fig
ure with length, breadth, aud thickness, IS
a mathematical solid Five such figures are
called 'rcgAiqr sOhds' Three of these
are enclosed IA eqnIlaieral triangles. Their
respective number of SIDES are !0G:, eisla,
aud twenty and they are hence called le-
One of the five Is enclosed IN six squares
aud Is hence called a heXahedron, OF, more
commonly, cube The remaining one of
the five Is enclosed IN twelve pcntagous, or
hyc-slded surfaces, and called a d0decahe-
dron OF each OF the FIVE regular solids,
the sides, corners, aud edges are all alike.
No matter which side. corner or edge Is
presented to the eye, the appearance Is The
same. This is true, aud can be true, of no
other PLAIN figure but one OF the regular
solds--a iact Of great importance ia The
subject of mechanism
No, long SINCE a chemist paid carpeHt-
er nine dollars Tor set of regular solids,
made of some common wood, say two or
three inches IN diameter, Thousands have
been made 10y children as tieir richest a-
musenent, far superior IA many respects,
aud much more instructive, from belng
made by the pupils own hands Being
made of pasteboard, the outspread surface
l. seen, showing The mode OF combining
as veil a. the sulid IA lis regular form.
Not long since d box containing the cube
modified 10y several sections aud combina
lions, was procured from France, at III,
cost of SIN dollars. Last winter grl seven
years old, the daughter of member @
Congress, made, principally under the Ia
slrucuon Of another girl of ten years old
a set of illustrations lar more complete It
ellectng their object than those procure'
from France, though IN workmanship IN
ierior Of course To pupil aud teacher, /
need not be SAID, the work was amusing IN
strucuon. ana instructive amusement
With the cube, under several divisions aui
combinations, the other regular solids, varl
ously modified, were also formed by tn
same young pupil, and by her juyenll
teacher.
BY these practical lessons the facts, tina
/ in AN inch cube are eight hal-mch cubes
tina, IN two-inch cube are slxty-four inc
cubes, and the whole principle of the rali
OF increase IN all solids, become as iauIlla
both to teacher and pupil as that lead !
heavy aud cork light, or any other physic'
truth learned by repeated experiments. =
The doctrine of the cube, thss iamilldrll
because practically aud agreeably learned
is of very great importance, as being at III
foundation of thousands of daily buslne,
operations, with that importance greatly il
creased from the constant and gross blum
ers in business arising from The gener
ignorance Of this fundamental principle
cubic measure, even among our most int
ligent business men. The five regular soll'
, are at the foundation Of the beauillu
wonderful, and instructive science OF CT
stalIography, as they are of natural aud a
tlhcia mechanism generally, as exhibits
in the works of God and man. One or /,