The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-20
'Ehen Baby was sick, We gave her Castor
When she was Child, she cried for Casto.ia.
When she became bliss, she chung to Castoria.
VIXEN she ha,. Children. she gave them Castc.A
MATTER WHEN VERY COLD.
fts Properties Are Found tn Change In
Surprising Manner.

Its Properties Are Found tn Change in-N
Surprising Manner.
The effect of low temperature upon
the physical properties of matter is very
striking. For instance, it is found that
the vigor of chemical action decreases
and the elements apparently lose their
ability to combine as their tempera-
tu.e is lowered. Thus phosphorus and
oxygen. which so energetically COM
bine al ordinary temperatures, become
more and more chemically inert as this
temperature is decreased, until At 200
degrees below the freezing point of
water they appear to be unable to
unite. This may be otherwise states.
by saving that in the absence OF heat
there is no chemical affinity. Now,
heat is known to consist in the internal
vibratory motion of atoms and mole
cules of matter. so that it appears that
in the absence of such vibratory mo-
tions there is no possi bility OF chemical
action. On the other hand, as the
temperature falls the magnetic and
electrical qualities of some or of all OF
the elements is exalted in a proper
Tomato way. Thus. oxygen, which Is
feebly magnetic at ordinary tempera-
ture. becomes strongly magnetic 1T
2O0 degrees, and when lieuified, as it
easily may be at such low temperature,
it behaves like iron to magnet, and
will adhere strongly to its poles. At
ordinary temperatures copper is SIX
times better conductor of electricity
than iron, but the csnductivity of each
is increased by cold. Copper is ten
times better as a conductor eff cleo
tricity at 100 degrees than it is at the
freezing point of water, and the con-
ductivity of iron increases at sti:!
greater rate. until iron becomes as
good as copper.
1t has been proposed to inclose cleo
trio conductors in pipes, to be kept very
cold by some of the weli-known pro-
cesses for extracting heat such as are
in common use for ice production. as
the amount Of copper needed would be
less as the temperature was less. 1t
may be some time before this plan can
be carried out, bu: that III is possible to
thus reduce the cost of electrical con-
ductivity by running an engine to pro-
duce cold is certain, and it will be done
when the cost of copper becomes COM
mercially comparab BILE with the cost OF
running an engine for such a purpose.
Experiment seems to indicate that
all the metals are thus affected by cold,
and that at absolute zero their cleo
trical conducsivity becomes infinite, or,
as it is more generally stated, the elec-s
trical resistance of metals becomes
zero. The other properties of sub
stances are also profoundly changed so
as to be radically different from what
they are under ordinary conditions; CO.
heslon, tensile strength, malieability,
etc, become less and less. Sc it seems
altogether probable that the qualities
and states of matter SO familiar to us
as solids, liquids and gases depend alb
solutely upon temperature, and that at
absolute zero there would be neither
solid nor liquid nor gas, and that cleo
trical and magnetic qualities would be
at maximum. This opens up great
field for speculation as to the nature OF
matter itself. when most OF what we
call its properties may be emptied out
of it by simply reducing its vibratory
motion. -Cosmopolitan.