The Mystery of Magnetism Fully Discovered by Experiments Intuitively Evident Which Admit of No Question (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1825 Excerpt: ...There nothing presented itself to our considertion except two perpendicular directions, the one upwards the other downwards, but in no position whatever has unmagnatised iron any thing to do with polarity. This is the peculiar property of magnite only, and every interference of iron deranges it. And here there was a difference, and it was produced by the iron; and that difference being the same, though the properties of the magnite are contrary, it became perfectly evident that some power, which belonged neither to the magnite nor the iron, was concerned in the phenomenon, and there was but one way in which it could be accounted for, which was by supposing that though iron by itself has no magnetic property, yet it was very possible it might be a conductor of magnite. Upon applying this principle, and putting it to the test of experiment, it was found to hold good, and to correspond with the greatest precision in all points and in all cases. By this fortunate discovery of the conducting property of iron, the dark cloud of impenetrable darkness which has so long hung over the mystery of magnetism has been dispelled, and we are furnished with a key which unlocks and discloses to our view, not one mystery, but a series of mysteries greater than magnetism has ever been supposed to contain. The conducting iron when placed in a vertical direction, shows that it brings N. polarity from above, and when placed perpendicularly downwards, brings S, polarity from below, upwards. These polarities are discovered by the effect produced upon the needle in the compass which 4s always reversed by the superior power.--When the iron is placed above the S. pole of the needle, the needle does not change its place, because by the law of magnetism, the conductor bringing N. polari...