The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-07-05
On Energy
BY PROFESSOR ROBERT sTAwELL BALL, A.
NJ, 4. L. d.

The science Of energy, which has been
developed within the last twenty five years,
appears to have a grand future, as lntl-
mately connected with astronomy, mechan-
les, light, magnetism, electricity even
with itself. 1t leads US back through per
iods, compared with which geological time
is nothing, and looking forward, like a
me-telescOpe, points out the ultimate
destiny IF the universe.
Energy is the capacity forraislng weights.
The distinction between force and energy
is that Energy is the product Of force
and distance The unit of energy Is the
energy required to overcome the unit Of
force through the unit Of distance. En-
ergy can be stored in rapidly moving fly
wheel, as can be demonstrated by expert
ment Energy IS also stored in any body
moving rapidly, As. for example, cannon
ball. Energy 81 this kind is termed kin
etc energy" A steam engine is a means
Of turning into mechanical work portion
of the energy contained in the coal con
sumed IN the furnace Heat may be turn
ed into mechanical work III other ways
for example, thermo electric battery.
The energy stored up iii coal, gunpowder
or a compressed spring, is denOmnated
potential energy Food and fuel are
both forms Of potential energy but the
former has TO replace the wear ard tear Of
the machine which consumes IT, which the
latter has not
Energy can Ne changed from one form
into another. The potential energy of the
body may he converted into mechanical
work by raising weight into electricity
heat and light. by Wlld's electrical ma
chine
A piece Of zinc may be burned III a stream
Of oxygen. The potential energy becomes
light and heat but it might have been
more strongly burned in battery it
would thus develop electricity, which
might be turned into kInetic energy by an
electromagnetic engine, or into hight
sound and heat, by Rhumkorti coil.
Energy j. indestructabe If 1t disap-
pears in one form, 1t Is only to reappear
again A hammered nail on an anvil be-
comes hot the energy which moves the
hammer Is transformed INTO beat in the
nail it Is not lost Friction appears to
consume energy, but this is not so, for If
proper appliances are used sufficient heat
can be collected to boil ether Or even wa
ter. Savart's apparatus is another In
stance the energy Of a rotating toOJhed
wheel being by 1t transformed into sound.
Perpetual motion Is impossible, because
some energy is always uselessly expended
III friction IN every machine, and energy
cannot he created No water-wheel could
pump up water to supply itself.
1t has been (fallaclously) proposed ~
work magnetO-electrlc machine by a
steam engine to decompose water with
the electricity, and sustain the action Of
the steam engine by the heat developed by
burning the oxygen and hydrogen pro
duced by the decomposition IL would be
impossible for the steam engine to decum-
pose enough water for the purpose
since therefore, energy cannot be de-
stroyed, and cannot be created. the quan
tlty of energy III the universe must remain
constant This is the principle of the con
servation of energy
All the different forms Of energy DID the
earth, whether from food, fuel. wind. or
water, can be traced TO the heat radiated
from the sun. The heat Is sustained I'M
the sun by the transformation of potential
energy into heat due to the suns contrac-
ton. If the diameter Of the sun dlmIu-
lshed 10, O,OO0th part, heat sufficient To-
supply the present loss by radiation for
., 900 years would be produced
The heat of the stars represents pro
digous quantity Of energy The earth has
a sore Of potential energy due to Its dis
tance from the sun this energy is equiva
lent to as much heat as would be produced
BY the combustion of ., 900 globes Of coal,
each as large as the earth. Beyond this
It has an amount Of energy due to Its ve-
lOcity in its orbit, equal to that which
would be produced BY the combustion of
fourteen globes of coal Of its own size. To
tins must be added quantity Of energy
due to its rotation on its axis
A period of rest, however, must at length
come. The planets, since they are not
rigid bodies, must ultimately fall into the
sun. Heat dtfuses itself, but heat cannot
be turned into mechanical energy, except
when transferred from a hot body to a
cold body. hen, therefore, BY the diff
fusion Of heat, the temperature is uni
verse, mechanical work must cease