The National tribune., 1898-03-17
PUZZLES AND QUERIES.
Some Problems Which are Really
Worth While Working Out.
Answers. Second series.l


answers II ~, ~, A. Al, as AZ, Is. 10, and 30.
All are correct, except that TO query l',which
defines % radiant matter " as matter which
gives of light. While undoubtedly matter
which gives of light is radiating it, still the
term has acquired a certain special signih-
canoe which is given below. II. 1. Mat
thews kinsman, o., sent in answers to
questions 9S and 100. The letter was mislaid,
and did not reach the Editor of the Puzzles
column until the present time. The an
swcrS were correct. Mr. Matthews also pro-
pounds Sundry questions. which appear Dc
low. Mr.. Matthews in n more recent letter
has also sent answers 10 Al, AZ, ~, 10, ana
d. All are correct.
dt.rSoap is u true salt, n combination OF
Stearic. margaric or oleic acid with an
alkaIi.. Hard soap is made of soda. or soda
and potash, with the fatty acid, generally
tallow. and some salt, ard soft soap Is made
Of the fat and potash. CASTLE soap Is made
of olive oil and soda. notified with some
oxid of iron.-Asa w. Slayton. Hard soups
are now made by boiling fats directly with
soda. The fat which is compound OF
fatty acid with glycerine breaks up ana
the fatty acid unteS with the soda 10
form soap. The glyce1ne remains IN
the soap I've, whence it is recovered
for commerce. When fats are treated
in the same manner with potash In
stead of soda (as in using I've from wood
aSheSt soft soaps are formed: /. e., soaps
which remain dissolved. II, however, to
soft soup salt be added, the sodium IN the
salt and the potassium in the soft soap eX-
change partners and soda or hard soap is
formed, which separates out.-EditOr.
AZ. The reason sea coast Localities nave
a more temperate climate than those farther
inland, is that the currents and tides OF
the ocean are constantly mngling the tor
l. nd
waters. making these warmer than the
land in Winter, cooler in Summer; ami the
winds from such waters temper the nearby
lands.-ASa W. Slayton. The atmosphere
at sea level abSorbS so much heat at times
as To check further effective radiation from
the surface beiow, and thus tends to pro-
duce uniformity of climate while at greater
elevat on the absorption is less. The ar is
cooled by the expansion and the general
temperature is thus lCWeTed.-Harry j.
Matthews.
Besides these reasons there is another
and important one: that. owing TO It's great
specific heat, water is SiOwef to cool or to
warm than land, or anything else, for that
matter, consequently is always cooler than
land in Summer and warmer IN Winter The
Great Lakes, though lying practically in
about the same latitude SoaS topreciude the
operations OF currents to any extent have ii
similar amelOrating effect on their imme-
intake iirie.-Ed.
AZ. Nevada'S winds coming from the Pa
cifc are deprived of their moisture by the
cold tops OF the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
the rain falling on the western slopes and
flooding California valleys from November
/ to April. Thus dr.ed ard cooled they de
/ sce.1d upon Nevada s parching plains. The
warm winds from the Gulf of Mexico. well
laden with moisture, float up the M1ssIs-
sippi Valley, reach the c0oier eastern
slopes of the Ozark Mountains, whe-e Their
j wealth Of moisture is condensed, falling as
rain Asa ". Siayton.
ii. SuPerphosplate is valuable fertil-
iZef, necessary to the growth Of seeds OF
plants, made by treating calcium fhoS
phafe. found in vast beds near the coast
in New Jersey. South Carolina. and Florida,
with suiphuric acid. 1t is also made from
ground homes and from boneblac Asa
w Slayton.
as Radiant matter " Is the term chosen
by the physicist Crookes to designate mat
ter in the condition in which Il exists In
highly exhausted tubes such as those used
to produce the Roentgen rays, Geissler
tubes, and the like, as well as IN electric
Fight bulbs. In these the air IS pumped
out until the residual air is only about a
mIlionth of its original density. In this
condition the ar molecules acquire new
properties, some of which were explained
in speaking Of the radiometer and Geissler
tubes. In ordinary air the molecules are
necessarily dartinI in ali rectionS like q
flock OF insane bumblebees, as somebody
says. and, naturally coIiding continually.
AS each pair collide the respective mole
cuieS dart of in new directions lust as
would two billiard balls, except that the
velocity of the molecules Is not impaired.
The darling Of the molecules against the
wall OF a containing vessel Is lett as the
pressure of the gas. Heat increases pres
sure because il increases their velocity.
However under ordinary pressure the
mean free path. y /. G.. the average dis
lance which mole cule travels before strik-
ing another is very short. But III the high
vacua employed in the tubes Just men
toned, the mean free path may reach
several inches, and by appropriate devices
a constant stream OF molecules may be
pro ected in straight line from Il given
point Molecules thus travelling constitute
" radiant matter" This property, IN some
unexplained manner. gives rise to the
phenomenon known as " Roentgen rays.
49, Procession Of equinoxes means that
the sun crosses the earthS equator, as at
vernal equinox. 20 seconds oil Il degree be
fore the earth reaches the point in its orbit
where it crossed the year before. lhlS
makes the solar year 20 minutes p seconds
shorter than the siderial year; and IT will
cause all the stars of heaven To rise at any
fixed hour once in about p 600 yearS.-Asa
". Slayton.
The. amount Of procession annually Is
80 10 seconds Hence il appears that
the e.,uinoctial points will make an entire
revolution in about -, 1858 years.-H. I.
Matthews.
AZ. The SargasSo Sea is in the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean, is filled with seaweed,
and occupies the eddy or whirl caused by
the several ocean currents which sur
round.i til Il. Matthews.
In the middle OF the North Atlantic. hav-
ing equatorial current south. Gulf stream
west and north, and the return current
toward the south on the west coast OF
EuroDe for its eastern boundS.-ASa W.
Slayton.
AZ. Water boiS in a vacuum at u de-
grees ''Draper's Philosophy. Asa w.
Slayton.-1ss
10. Mercury freezes or soldifies at 39}
degrees below zero. 1t is then malieable
like lead can be rolled into sheets stamped
into coin; but soon meltS where you or 1
could lve-Asa W Slayton.
Thirty-ninc degrees Fahrenheit, below
zero.-1H r. Matthews.
50. Death Valley is in southern Cali
fornia, in southeastern part OF inyo County,
between AmargoSa and Panamlnt Mount
ains,-Asa W. Slayton.
.n u Questions. Second Series.l
81. What is the width and what is the
velocity Of the Gulf Stream?-H. L. Mat
thews.
50. What is the color of the Gulf Stream?
II. T. Matthews.
49, What are fields Of fire, and where are
they'fo,ind?-H. Il. Matthews
81. Why do persons lost on prairie, etc,