Aether; A Theory of the Nature of Aether and of Its Place in the Universe (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1906. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... number of atoms contained in the given volume. Twice as many atoms, occupying the same space, take twice as much heat to raise them through 1 deg. of temperature. Up to this we have been considering the case of atoms (or molecules) all of the same size, and we must next consider how an alteration in the size of the atoms affects the position. Eegnault further proved that the specific heats of different simple gases are approximately in the inverse ratio of their relative densities, the temperature and pressure remaining the same. That is to say, a gas whose atoms are twice as heavy (or twice as large, according to our theory) will require for heating a gramme of it, through 1 deg., half the quantity of heat that a gramme of gas composed of atoms of half the weight will require for the same purpose. The weight (1 gramme) of both gases being the same, the same amount of Bether will be displaced in both cases; but a gramme of the denser gas will occupy only half the space occupied by a gramme of the lighter gas. Consequently, with equal resistance, the volume of aether will in the case of the denser gas be half the volume of it in the case of the lighter. Hence the quantity of heat required to raise the gramme of the heavier gas through one degree will be half that required by the gramme of the lighter gas. Here, again, it is evident that, according to our theory, no account is taken of the fact that the proportion of displaced aether to non-displaced becomes altered as the density alters. With this qualification, it evidently follows that the quantity of heat required to raise a given volume of gas through a degree of temperature is the same whatever be the nature or density of the gas, the temperature and pressure being the same. Assuming, as we do, that equal vo...