A Natural Philosophy: Embracing the Most Recent Discoveries in the Various Branches of Physics, and Exhibiting the Application of Scientific Principles in Every-day Life : Adapted to Use with Or Without Apparatus, and Accompanied with Full Descriptions of Experiments, Practical Exercises, and Numerous Illustrations

Front Cover
D. Appleton, 1866 - Physics - 450 pages
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 34 - A Circle is a plane figure bounded by a curved line every point of which is equally distant from a point within called the center.
Page 34 - A diameter of a circle is a straight line drawn through the centre, and terminated both ways by the circumference.
Page 392 - A man placed on one of them would spring with ease 60 feet high, and sustain no greater shock in his descent than he does on the earth from leaping a yard. On such planets giants might exist; and those enormous animals, which on earth require the buoyant power of water to counteract their weight, might there be denizens of the land.
Page 300 - Leyden, of much eminence, said that " he felt himself struck in his arms, shoulders, and breast, so that he lost his breath ; and it was two days before he recovered from the effects of the blow and the terror ; adding, that he would not take a second shock for the kingdom of France.
Page 173 - The marine barometer has not yet been in general use for many years, and the author of this work was one of a numerous crew who probably owed their preservation to its almost miraculous warning. It was in a southern latitude ; the sun had just set with placid appearance, closing a beautiful afternoon, and the usual mirth of the evening watch was proceeding, when the captain's order came to prepare with all haste for a storm. The barometer had began to fall with appalling rapidity.
Page 401 - When through the agency of the sun a particular portion of the earth's surface is heated to a greater degree than the remainder, the air resting upon it becomes rarefied and ascends, while a current of cold air rushes in to supply the...
Page 332 - ... fifty shocks, each greater than the preceding one, were given in two seconds : every muscle in his countenance was simultaneously thrown into fearful action ; rage, horror, despair, anguish, and ghastly smiles, united their hideous expression in the murderer's face, surpassing far the wildest representations of a Fuseli or a Kean.
Page 35 - The circumference of every circle is divided into 860 equal parts, called Degrees. One fourth of the circumference contains 90 degrees, and is called a Quadrant. 11. An Angle is the difference in direction of two straight lines that meet or cross each other. 12. The Vertex (plural, vertices) of an angle is the point at which its sides meet ; as, D in Fig.
Page 184 - J?xperiments.—In a vacuum, boiling commences at a much lower temperature than in the air. This is shown by placing some hot water under a receiver and exhausting the air. The pressure of the atmosphere being removed from its surface, the water soon boils; but it comes to rest the moment that air is readmitted. For the same reason, water boils at a lower temperature on the top of a mountain than at its base, as has often been observed by travellers. 442. If beer is placed under a receiver and the...
Page 94 - These simple machines are the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. The lever.

Bibliographic information