The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-08-10
A ROPE OF WATER.
Berthelot's Test That Showed Ito
Tensile Strength.
THE COHESION OF MATTER.

Brought Into Contact VIII Adhere TO
One Another as Though They Were
Glued Together.
1t is well known that liquids are
among the least compressible of sub.
stances; this In spite Of the fact that
they have the property OF conforming
to any shape Of vessel or of yielding
10 any forces. no matter how small,
which tend to change only their shape.
Thus. to squeeze water into nine
tenths OF its volume under ordinary
conditions would require a pressure
Of no less than 5000 atmospheres, or
$1,000 pounds. to the square inch.
This property of being almost incom-
pressible is best illustrated perhaps
by an experiment tried centuries ago.
wherein an attempt was made to COM
press water by Cling ieaden shell
with 1t and then, after closing, ham,
mering and squeezing the shell The
only effect of the tremendous pres
sures produced In this way was to
cause the water to penetrate the mi
mute pores of the lead and exude in
drops like Precipitation on the outer
surface of the shell. The same effect
was found for a silver shell.
But, while 1t Is familiar fact that
liquids will resist an enormous force Of
compression, the companion fact that
they are also capable of withstandlng
tension Is not so generally known. At
first sight this statement may appear
ridiculous. When water may be so
readily dipped from a pail or poured
from one vessel to another. how can
It be capable of withstanding tensionl
II. however. we prevent change OF
form we find that pure water is capa-
BILE of bearing fifty atmospheres of ten
sion, or 750 pounds to the square inch.
If it was possible, then. to utilize this
property by making rope" of water
we should find 1t capable of sustaining
good fraction of the weight that
could be borne by an ordinary rope Of
the same size. But 1t must be admit
ted that the task Of making rope out
of such material would be rather diff
flcult, to say the least Notwithstanding
the fact that 1t possesses this desirable
property Of tensile strength. Because
of its inability to resist a deforming
force Ii would have to be Enclosed In a
tube: but, while 1t would here be In
condition to withstand compression, as
from piston In the tube, any attempt
at stretching" the liquid in this way
would simply result In pulling away
the piston from the water surface.
However, this tensile strength was
actually found by Berthelot In the fol-
lowing way: A strong glass tube sealed
at one end and drawn out very fine at
the other was filled nearly full of wa
ter and then closed. The tube was then
cautiously heated until the water had
expanded and completely filled 1t. 1t
was then slowly and carefully cooled
back to Its original temperature, when
II was found that the water had not
contracted. but still filed the tube.
1t Is almost universal law that a
small extension In volume of a body
requires the same magnitude OF force
to produce 1t as to cause a similar
amount of compression, the forces, how
ever, being tension In one case and
compression In the other. With this
law In mind 1t is readily seen that the
water that now fills the tube must be
under tension, since previously at the
same temperature 1t did not quite fill
the tube-that is, 1t has actually been
stretched or expanded beyond its nor
NAL volume for this temperature, and
. from our knowledge of the forces that
would be required to produce the cor
responding compression we can figure
out what this tension must be.
The ultimate particles or molecules
of matter we believe to be held to-
gether by powerful forces, known va
, riously as cohesion or adhesion. but
, being in any case forces Of attraction,
and these forces tend to prevent any
expansion OF the matter, be 1t solid or
LIQUID. 1t might be thought that these
forces would cause two bodies In con-
tact to adhere to each other, but par
ticles have to be so near together to
, be acted upon by them that 1t is diff
. fcult to bring bodies into such close
contact that an appreciable area OF
one is within this distance Of the other.
However, two clean pieces Of lead
can readily be pressed 80 closely to-
gether that they will adhere, and O
set OF copper cubes was once made
with such true faces that when doz
en- of them were piled one on top OF
the other the series adhered together
so we'll that the whole could be lifted
from the top one. But the best ex
ample Is furnished by pieces Of op
heal glass whose surfaces have beer
worked so plane that when pressed to
gether they will as readily break al
some other spot as at this plane
Perhaps 1t Is unfortunate that these
useful forces, which hold all matter
together and keep 1t from colapsing
into tmpalpable dust, are confined IN
their action to such a limited range
II this were not so. a break or any
I BORT could be fixed by merely bring
ing together the broken ends. Glue
of any kind would be unnecessary.
n But even this state Of affairs would
: have Its drawbacks. A book laid OF
t a table would have to be pried of witt
d wedge, and the same instrumen
: would be required to open it Ev
y erything would stick to everything
else, and the pleasure of walking
q would be lost In the tedious process o
49,, . 10, Nfh