The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-29
PUZZLES and QUERIES.
Some Problems Which are Really
Worth While Working Out.
Answers.

81. II cup hilT' means rising above a
water level" then. influenced by gravity
alone, water never runs up hui. but, IN
| fuenced by pressure, as along every beach
when the tide is rising; or by centrifugal
force, as up the sioping sides of a half
filled pail when twirled by the hand; or by
/ the attraction of other bodies than the
earth, as the moon and sun in causing
| tides-water does flow up hill.-Asa w.
Slayton.
| 50. "Down" means toward the physical
center of the earth as determined by a
plumb line, and up" means in the OPP
posite direction. The plumb-line does not
math ematically coincide with a line per-
pendicular to the water level at all places;
because centrifugal force causes the water
level north and south to be nearly - miles
farther from the center at the equator than
it is at the poles.-Asa w. Slayton.
&c. Atom and molecule are often used
anonymously and careleSsiy. In science,
an atom is the smallest portion of an eie-
ment OF which we can conceive, Il portion
which will unite with one or more atoms OF
some other element to form compound.
A molecule is the smallest portion OF a
compound. Illustration: Two atoms OF
hydrogen unite with one atom OF oxygen
| and form molecule OF water.-Asa w.
SlaytOn.
| 81. AS to the highest point in the United
| States, Mt. st. Elias, half In Alaska, half
] in British America, is variOusly stated at
| from II ,96S feet to 10, 700. and one book says
| 10 500 feet; Pixies Peak is II 800 feet, and
| Mt. Shasta is H,410 feet, and up. Take
your choice.-Asa w. Slayton.
80. The Amargosa Basin and Death 8
Valley, in southern California, about 400
feet below the ocean level, the lowest land.
Asa w. Slayt0n.
| A point directly north of the Caspian Sea
| is the lowest dry land below sea level.-O.
| Ii. Heiser, KratZerville, Pa.
| 20 The TortI1raS Islands are SentinelS
guarding one of the two narrow doors lead
| ing into the big Gulf of Mexico, and very
important are they, because they belong
to us.-Asa w. 81 iytOn and 0. IL. Heiser.
| 40 Cannon-powder is made in coarse
grains from size Of small peas to quail
eeg or larger, according to size OF gun; the
! object being to leave space for air to make
the powder burn-Asa W. Slayton.
Grains of cannon-powder are usually
| large and perforated.
| Note.
In regard to question II Comrade William
Harpham, Co. f., 55th Ohio, Guthrie, Okla.
| sends the following:
| "Of question II of this series l will say
| that it is conceded that not only the per
pendicular conceived by j. p, but every
| other perpendicular drawn to the point o
tangencyin plane tangent to the surface
| at any DO Mt between the equator and
| North or South Pole, will deviate from the
center; but if the plummet suspended IRON
| the surface at any latitude between the
equa tor and either pole may be regarded
as indicating the perpendicular, we are
still of the opinion that its path will be rep
resented by the diagonal of the rectange
formed by Joining the given latitude to the
diameter of the equator and the polar di
amet r. and that the pummet will, when
sufficiently produced, settle at the point
where these diameters intersect, since
otherwise there would be presented the
case of a weight resting at point where
the amount of matter on one side is less
than that on the opposite, which, accord
ing to Comrade Slayton, is inadnissible
Hence the pummet must proceed to The
center, Prof. Heiser to the contrary not
withstanding."