Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-26
0Blo Statesna,an
WeIght. Force and Power.

There exists among many persons
confusion in the use of these words,
which it would be very desirable to cor
rect. This confusion originates not only
in the wrong understanding of the words,
but also of the ideas they convey. When,
for instance, We read in the Scientific ~
american, editorial remarks like these
: "power may drive machinery but lu-
bricator is BETTER" it shows that there
is no very clear idea of Pover when
lubricator is considered to be substitute
for, and an improvement upon it. When
again the same scientific (?) paper says
(Vol. XIV, p. 367): "The mechanical
force developed by the change of one
cubic inch of water into 1,700 cubic in
ches of steam is nearly one tun," it
shows that there is no clear idea of
Force, as the mention of weight alone,
say tun or a pound. without consider
ing its motion, conveys no idea of force
at ALL
Weight means nothing more nor less
than the idea the word conveys; namely,
a certain amount of matter. 1t cannot
possibly be used to convey the idea of
force, To speak of a tun, pound, or
ounce weight gives no idea of force,
since an ounce weight in motion pro-
duces an infinitely greater force than a
tun weight at rest, of which the force is
zero. Therefore any scientific writer
that speaks of mechanical force of one
tun simply proves himself to be very ig
norant in. the proper use of words.
The statement of Force requires the
combination of two ideas; first, certain
amount of matter, or certain weight !;
and secondly, certain space through
which it moves. This is force and moth
lug more. 1t is not power, much less a
certain amount of horsepower, and to
speak of $4,000 pounds raised one foot
high as horsepower, as is often done,
is another error of the same kind.
The word power involves three ideas ::
A certain mass or weight, certain space
through which the mass moves, and a
certain time during which the motion
occurs. The true definition of horse
power is $4,000 pounds raised one foot
high, in one minute, or, after the French
decimal system, which amounts to nearly
the same thing, rs Kilograms raised one
meter high in one second.
To recapitulate: Weight signifies
nothing more than a mass of matter !;
Force involves the idea of matter and
space while in the word Poaoer we
have the three ideas of matter, space and
motion combined.
Now as to the application. When we
suspend weight and keep it unmoved,
it exerts neither force nor power; when
we cause it to descend, it exercises a
force; but the amount of measure of
power obtained by this descent can only
be arrived at by considering the velocity
of this descent. Therefore, when we say
$4,000 pounds descends one foot in one
minute, or $50 pounds one foot in one
second, Or 55 pounds ten feet in one sec
ond, we have horse power; but when
SIS pounds only descends one foot in one
second, or ten feet in ten seconds, we OBJ
tain the power of one man, which is es-
timated to be one-ffth or one-tenth of
that of horse.
A man can raise $4,000 pounds one
foot. high easy enough, either by means
of machinery, or by subdividing it into
500 parts, of &c pounds each; but it
will be found that he cannot possibly ac-
complish this task in one minute, as is
possible for horse by means of the pro-
per contrivances. All man can do is
to raise the $4,000 pounds. with the right
kind of machinery, one foot in eight or
ten minutes, or to lift every second &c
pounds one foot high. In five hundred
seconds; or little more than eight min
utes, he will have accomplished his task
oflifting 500 times 66, or $4,000 pounds,
one foot high.
The clear understanding of these
principles would often save to many
man both money and time, in prevent
ing him from attempting the accom-
plishment of utterly impossible things.
Journal Of Mining.