New-York tribune., 1870-01-01

fur OF cat IL is at once electrhed; ana now II III De
caused TO communicate portion OF Its charge to THIS
glass plate. to which at the same time we
add the mechanical motion Of rotation, the strong
So too taking heat "a the initial force, motion, nght,
steam which leaves the cylinder cooler than that which
entered IT, and cooler by exactly the amount OF work
done The motion Of the pston mass Is precisely That
lost by the molecules which batter against IT. The
conversion of heat into electricity too Is also easily ef-
trcity IS developed II the two metals bo bismuth and
anumony, as represented In this diagram the currents
flow indicated by the arrows and by multiplying the
number Of pairs. the effect may be proportionatey In
creased. Such arrangement called thermoelectro
burner NAV be made to move when converted this little
electric belengne. Moreover heat and light have the
the molecules move and light appears the difference
being only one OF intensity.
THE CONVERSION OF IELECTRIcrTY INTO OTHER FORCES.
Again, II electricity DO starting point may ac-
compsh its conversion into the other forces Heat
suits whenever Its passage is interrupted or resisted
wire of the poorly conducting metal platinum becoming
even red hot by the converted electricity To produce
light course, need only to intensity this action
conversion Of electricity Enough has now been said 70
establish our point What is to be particularly observed
especially designed for the conversion OF some one force
another And expect OF them only that conversion
We pass on TO consider for moment the quantitatye
relations Of this mutual convertbty. We notice IN the
perfect part OF the force used not being utilized, the
hand and the other forces making their appear
ance simultaneously. While, for example, the conversion
of motion into heat quite complete the inverse conver
SION ia not at all So And on the other hand when
SSR & asU Forces
we'll illustrated by our little belengine, which converts
the electricity Of the thermobatery into magnetism ana
this into motion part OF which expends itself as sound
For these reasons the question How much y Is one not
easily answered in all cases The best known OF these re-
lations s that between motion and heat which was hrst
established by Mr. Joue in lS49 after seven years OF pa
shown in the diagram 1t consists OF cylindrical box OF
metal through the cover of which passes shalt carry
ing upon its lower end set OF paddles llnnerseu IN
water within the box and upon its upper portion drum
on which wound two cords which, passing IN oPpo 20
site directions run puleys, and are atlacheu 70
known weights The temperature OF the water the
box being carefully noted the Weighs are tem D
fall certain number OF times OF oouISe 80 ,hn ~
their fan turning the paddles against the Ilcuon 1l w.
loud AT the close OF the experiment the waters Ouo
to be than before. And by measuring the amount
OF this riso temperature knowing the distance
which the weights fallen II is easy TO calculate the
quantity of heat which corresponds to given amount OF
motion In this way, and as mean OF large
In body weighing pound, which had fallen from
hight Of772 feet exactly equal the molecular motion
heat II one degree Fahrenheit II we call the actual en-
ergy Of body weighing pound, which has fallen one
foot fOOtpOund, then We may speak OF the mechahea
equivalent OF heat as being 772 foot'pounds .
The significance and value OF TINS numerical CONSTANT
one or simple problems During the recent war TWO
immense iron guns were cast In Pittsburgh whose weight
was nearly $4,000 pounds each and which had caDer
OF 90 inches. Upon this diagram calculation OF tne
enectlye blow which such ball, assuming us weight 70
would gve it 3O5OO tuns Now, If 1t were possible to
ses hS TS Sw much 3t R RM4 cehd
ton may be answered by the aid OF the mechanical
equivalent of heat here Is the calcnaton from wlica
to the boiling point much energy is communicated as
is containedn the deathdealng missile at Its highest
ball our earth, which whiring through space with
velocity OF lS mi miles s seSCno @ n we We're This a"
converted into heat would equal that produced by the
combustion Of IA earths OF solid coal - . -,
The conversion Of heat into motion, however. as al
ready stated is not as perfect The best steamenRhes
economic only onetwenteth OF the neat OF .e iei h
the Atlantic, $40 tun Will be expended IN healg
the waters of the ocean tn heat OF the remaining %
tuns only being converted into WORK
THE MECHANICAL EQUIVALENT OF LIGHT.
One other Quantatve determination Of force has also
been made. Prof julius Thomson OF Copenhagen has
fixed experi1entay the mechanical equivalent OF light
He finds nat the energy OF the light OF spermacet
candle br ming 1864 grains per hour is equal III mechan
cal value 20 l3l foopOunds per minute The same con-
clusiOn ha been reached BY Mr. Farmer OF Boston ion
If we pass from the actual physical energies motions
to consider for moment the potential energies OF
since all energy not active in motion ia potential In
attraction it follows that in the attractions we have
energy stored up for subsequent use The sun is tnus
storing up energy every minute 1t raises l2OOOOO Oh
tuns OF TO the mean hight OF the clouds - ies
and the actual energy set free when TINS Waer ias b
oxygen zinc of the are separated IN the furnace
the actual energy OF heat becomes dne po.en pNcdes
actual in the form Of electricity when t,a zinc C Is
any form OF force or actual energy be etc red up as any
form Of attraction or potential energy, but that the
latter from whatsoever source aS appeAi do
Having established the fact OF correlation Tor te
physical forces we have next to inquire what the
evidences of the correlation OF the vital forces with them
But the first place IL must be remarked tat NE Is not
a simple term like heat or electricity; IS complex
term and includes all those phenomena which living
body exhibits. In this discussion, therefore, we sha
energy of the body however manifested As to the at
fractions the potential energy OF the organiS nothing
fully settled in science than the fact thst these
are
Every particle Of matter within the bOdy oDeys lmpcy
the laws Of the chemical and physical attractions. No
notwithstanding or supernaural agency IN to com
piicate their action which is modified only by the action
Of the others Vitality therefore is the sum OF the ener
Moreover the important fact must be fuy recognized
that In living beings with no new elementary
forTas OF matter Precisely the atoms which build
up the inorganic fabric, compose the organic; III !ho
early days Of chemistry indeed it was supposed that the
complicated molecules which life produced were beyond
the reach OF simple chemical law. But AS more anu
more complex molecules have been, one after another
produced, chemistry has become reassured. and now
doubts not her ability to produce thein a Few years
gon as she now gives us coumarln and neurine, sub
stances the synthess Of which but yesterday an I'M
p''''' THE PHENOMENA OF LIVING BEINGS.
In studying the phenomena Of living beings. 1t is i'm
porant also to bear IN mind the different and at the same
time the coordinate purposes subserved by the two great
Kingdoms Of nature. The food of the plant is matter
whose energy is all expended 1t is fallen weight But
the paut organism receives II to the suns ray
and, in way mysterious to us, converts the actual
energy OF inc bunllBHI pOttnuhi ~
The fallen weight thus raised and energy Is stored up
In substances which now are alone competent to become
the food OF the animal THIS food is not such because any
new atoms have added to it 1t is food because
it contains within 1t potential energy which at any
lime may become actual as force. THIS food The ami
NAL appropriatesi he brings In contact WIN ohy
gen. and the potential energy becomes actual he cuts
the string the weight falls and what was just now Only
attraction has become actual force TINS force nc uses
for his own purposes and hands back the oxydzed mat
tor, the fallen weight TO the plant to be again
de-oxydized, TO be again raised Tho plant ,iei then
sunlight into potential energy; the animal ma
chine for setting the potential energy free as actual
and ecOnom8iug IT, The force which the plant stores
up is undenaby physical must not the force when the
animal sets free by It's conversion be intimately cor