Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-25
cn lLFRED MAYER WRITE OF 1T.
9. thc First Time that the
,,ory 90 This Effect Has Bcen
.,cd-Experipaents With n Metal
sihg.

,-.ocy has proved the startling fact
m..al floats on the surface OF tho
There has been for years a theory
n,s eject bat never before las Z,
s,,en beyond cavil. Now. however,
~. r.en proved that there Is a film
..- an ihe surface OF the water sufi-
.,, -ronc to hold upon Its surface a
-. ,. metal Of considerable weight.
Conclusions reached by Professor
49, were Che result OF continuous ex-
.,t covering a series Of years. and
.. susceptible OF proof mat, Profess
,,..c- saws. will convince any one.
t.s written FOR this psper a signed
mont relating his views in the mat
go which wiz prove OF exceeding in-
..,.t even TO the lay world. 1t Is as
t.ws.
.,, o.rrr.l 20 me that Il a ring Of
-..f with chemically clean surface
... Dc foatcd and then gradually
,.a.eI until 90 broke through the sur
r.. ~ .hc liquid. one might thus moa-
-, surface tension. My experiment
...y.5 taat not only was this true. but
1st needless and such objects could be
.re Q. keep upon the surface OF the
o.t.r With compaT ltively little effort
v.s really astOnishcd. for no matter
s5a much mar may believe in a theory
.fr..s ast0nishes him 10 hear that he
r.r- as he. like every one else. is
so.ys considering the difficulties, the
,l.t.r'c. which stand I'm his way.
.bt fho time Of my first experiments
se.- little prospect Of succeeding IN
re Cd ring with n clean surface. for
all tla trtatlscs on physics / had read
STATE tat 90 float a metal on water its
srf.ra must be Coz cd with a film OF
rr a ring Of aluminium seemed the
more u.ely 20 float, because this metal
hasa peculiar repellent action on melted
allows IKE ordinary soldiers. l made a
rrr ~ aluminium 50 milimetres in diane
ter out az wire / millimetre thick. II
fnti on water. AS I gradually added
weight 30 the ring fl sam. deeper and
Deeper IN q depression in the water. till,
having reached q depth OF millmetres,
40 broke through tho Hater-surface. The
total weight required 10 make the ring
break through the surface was 80
lrlmr es.
"lr subsequent experiments / hoated
"a ring of els millimetres in diameter
made " aluminium rod 81 mlllilmetros in
Gmeter This ring weighed IS grammes.
T0 f0al this ring requires steady hand
and patience; but a ring made Of alVmi-
rlu rol 315 millinctres in diameter is
easily hoatei. With this ring may be
made an interesting experiment A ring
with fine wire yoke and cup weighs 4.l35
grtTmes. one gramme added TO the ring
causes Il 10 sink giving 5.435 as the
breaking weight. Tho unloaded ring,
therefore. weighs 10 per cent. less than
Doe breaking weight IL, from any cause,
such as the gathering OF dust on the
water. or the contamination OF It's sur
face from the vessel holding it. the sur
face tension should be weakened 10 per
CONT. then the unload 4 ring will sink
This Weakening Of the surface tension IS
readily and rapidly brought about by
pouring vapOr of ether on the water.
When this vapor reaches the water the
ring moves 20 and fro IN a tremuous
manner and then sinks.
I'm nay ignorance. 1 saw In these ex-
Ieriments property OF hotation pecu-
Dar 20 aluminium. Experiment however.
soon showed me that an metals, with
clean surfaces. from platinum OF a den
SHY OF "a. float on water. When and
with wi, IN originated the erroneous
statement that metals to float must have
tr, surfaces creased have not
been copied from one treatise on physics
into mother for about a century.
on DISTILLED WATER.
"I the platinum rims be loaded TO. say.
ono tenth OF the weight required
On make it sink and then fioated on
freshly distilled water, 1t VIII sink
Which, from any cause. the surface ten
soa of the water has been lessened 10
~ Of
tne ring is variable on one day fl
fmtl only during two hours; on an
Ol.r day 10 foated for nine hours; ON
another day five hours. The same ring
loaded so O. % II lack ! 80 per cent of
ODE breaking weight foated during sixty
Sis hours The contamination OF the
water seemed more rapid during dry,
lv. and dusty weather. than during,
mr. just after a rain. The contamination,
however, also proceeds from the vessel
el.r OF glass or Of metal, holding the
vt.r a shown by Miss Agnes Pockels,
Ci Brunswick Germany ! have not
FEu amy study to the causes OF the
contamination of q surface of water eX-
I.sal 'n the open air. because the re-
suits with The ring. though curious, are
o. .t-e value unless connected win
other observations on the conditions Of
Ue atmosphere. IL may that floating
platinum ring may be OF use in deter
mining tac relative amounts OF dirt or
cus, u the ir on different days; but TO
De- uso. fo- 'his purpose one must first
accurately f.d out how much OF the
c.rumina. on Is due to the substance OF
Ue vessel by experiments made on
water n the trough OF Miss Pockets en-
closed n am alright vessel.
Several pleasing experiments may be
made with the platinum ring iloated on
water in the trough devised by MISS
lo-kc. This Ingenious and SIMPLE IN
1,rl1n consists OF "a trough OF uhhed
lm Cd centimetres long centlmetres
vide. and centimetres deep. filled 10 us
him with water a strip Of metal longer
than the width OF tho trough is placed
sthwart the latter, with the plane OF the
Srp so vertical position. The lower
ege % the strip touches the surface
,he water. BY sliding the strip from
De extreme end OF the trough. the con-
Eliminated surface Of the water is maze
smaller and more contaminated on the
side " the strip towards which this Is
Rowing while the surface Of the water
o. tle other side % the strip has been
swept clean. and may be regarded as a
Clean surface The platinum ring Is
h'atei on this clean surface, and the
weight required 20 sink the ring Is de-
tm.nel Now load the ring TIL It's
Weigh, s less than the weight required
70 sink it by 10 90 80 etc. per cent.
~ The ring is now foated near one end
o. he trough. while the strip OF metal
Us 500 along from the other end OF the
uolsh towards the ring the surface
VI We water on the side of the strip |
o"-fl The ring becomes more ana |
more Contaminated TIL It's surface ten
soH can no longer hold up the ring, |
eng ih.s sinks. Knowing the percentage |
7. me breaking weight with which the |
ing is loaded and the fraction Of the |
-'ih ~ the trough % which the strr (,