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From the above quotations, it will be seen that the principal and most familiar sources (or great storage batteries) of Energy, apparent to dwellers upon this planet, are (1) the Earth manifesting the Power of Gravitation; and (2) the Sun, manifesting solar heat. In Tyndall's illustration we see the force of the sun's Energy—heat—raising the water from the ocean, by evaporation (although aided by the earth's gravitation "pulling down" the heavier air, allowing the vapor to rise). Then we see the Force of Gravitation causes the condensed vapor to fall as rain or snow on the mountain-top—then causing the rain to run into little streams, and so on until the river is reached—then causing the river to start on its downward journey of over seven thousand feet—then causing it to plunge over the cascade; to turn the wheels that operated the machinery, and turned the millstone, and the crusher of the miner, and the saw-mill, and the milk-churn, and the cradle. And, as Tyndall might have added, had he lived a little later—in the running of the dynamo, which running, produced electricity, that in turn caused lights to burn; other machinery to run and manufacture things; stoves to cook; flat-irons to iron; automobiles and engines to run; and many other things along the lines of transmitting Energy, Force and Motion.
And in this consideration, let us not forget the important part that Gravitation—that most wonderful of all Forces—plays in the grand scheme of Nature. Not only does this Force cause the planets to circle around the sun, and, perhaps that sun around another sun, and so on, and on until the matter becomes unthinkable—not only this, but it performs a million parts in the affair of earthly Matter, as we shall see in a later chapter. The Force of Gravitation is one of the greatest mysteries confronting Science to-day, although many believe it a simple question. Gravitation and the Universal Ether contain the great secrets of Nature that Man is striving to unveil. And yet, so "common" is Gravitation that the race, including almost all the scientists, take it as a "matter of course." We shall devote much attention to the question of Gravitation in the forthcoming chapters of this book, for it plays a very important part in the general theory of Dynamic Thought, upon which this book is based. We shall have a special chapter devoted to it, a little later on, and the matter will also come up for explanation further on in the book.
But, in the meantime, let us consider the other forms of Energy, viz., Heat, Light, Magnetism and Electricity, which with Gravitation and Attraction of other kinds, form the Forces of Nature.
CHAPTER IX
RADIANT ENERGY
THE "kinds" of Energy are very few, although the methods of using, applying and manifesting same are innumerable. Let us begin with one of the best known forms of Energy, namely, Heat.
Heat was formerly regarded as a very fine fluid or substance, called "caloric," which was supposed to enter into Substance and then manifest the phenomenon of "heat." This idea has long since been relegated to the scrap pile of Science. The present theory, which is supported by a mass of evidence obtained through investigation and experimentation, is that Heat is a form of Energy, arising from the vibratory motions of the Particles of Substance—a "Mode of Motion." The degrees of Heat are termed "Temperature." Temperature depends upon the rate of the heat-vibrations of the Particles of Substance, either arising from the Original Motion of the Particles, or else from vibrations or Motion aroused in them by transmission from Particles of other bodies of Substance—these vibrations being "contagious." Temperature then means "the measure of the vibrations of the Particles."
All bodies of Substance have some degree of Temperature—some degree of heat-vibration of its Particles. Science has a pleasant "scientific friction" of an Absolute Zero at the degree of 491 below Zero, Fahrenheit, but this is merely an imaginary something with which the grown up children of Science amuse themselves.
When two bodies are brought near each other—the "nearness" being comparative, and, in some cases, meaning a distance of millions of miles—Heat is transmitted from the warmer to the cooler body, until the temperatures are equalized—that is until the two bodies vibrate in unison.
In Physics we are taught that the "Transmission" of Heat may be accomplished in three ways, although the writer is of the opinion that the three ways are but three forms of one way. The first form is called "Conduction," whereby the vibration, or Heat, is conveyed along a body of Substance, from its warmer to its cooler parts—for instance, an iron poker with one end in the fire. The second form is called "Convection," whereby the visible motion of heated Substance, moving along the air—for instance, hot-air, hot-water, steam, etc., either by means of pipes, or by allowing them to pass freely through the air. The third form is called "Radiation," whereby the vibrations are believed to be transformed into "waves of the Ether," which will be spoken of later, in addition to what has been said on the subject in our chapter entitled "The Paradox of Science."
The writer thinks that a little consideration will show us that the same rule operates in all of the above cases, and that "Conduction" and "Convection" are but forms of Radiation. For instance, in Conduction there must be a few Particles first set into vibration, the same gradually passing on to the others farther, and farther away. Passing how? "By contact," replies Physics. But, the Particles are never in absolute contact—there always is "plenty of space" between them. And so there must be some kind of "waves" passing through the space between them, which space is not filled with "air," or other form of Substance, but only with "the Ether," or something that takes its place. So that, after all, Conduction is but a form of Radiation. And the same rule will apply in the case of Convection.
Heat arises from several causes, all of which, however, manifest through the vibration of the Particles of the body evidencing the Heat. These causes may be stated as (1) Original Motion of the Particles of a body of Substance, arising from some workings of the Law of Attraction, and including Motion arising from Chemical Action, Combustion, etc. (2) From transmission or "contagion" from some other body of Substance, the Particles of which are vibrating at the rate of Heat. (3) From interrupted Motion, including friction both of the moving body with the air or other Substance, and the friction of a current of Electricity passing through the body. In each of the above cases, the actual and immediate cause of the Heat is the vibration of the Particles of the Substance manifesting the Heat, although the transmitted vibratory waves, or the interrupted motion, friction, current, etc., may have been the instigator or provoker of such vibration. The interrupted motion, friction, or "wave" does not produce the Heat, but merely arouses or provokes the increased vibration of the Particles, that really manifest the Heat. At the last, remember, the Heat is in the Particles of the body that "feels" or experiences it.
The vibrations of Heat seem to have the properties of causing the Molecules to draw further apart, and to manifest less Attraction, or more Repulsion, whichever way one cares to express it. This "moving away" of the Molecules tend to cause the body to increase in volume or size, and occasions what is known as "Expansion" in Substance. In this way Heat transforms Solids into Liquids; Liquids into Gases or Vapors, the change being wholly a matter of the relative distances of the Molecules.
Magnetism is another form of Energy, and is generally believed to be a part of the phenomena of Electricity, if indeed, not a form of Electricity itself. Science knows very little about the nature of Magnetism, but in a general way holds to the theory that it results from the vibration or motion of the Particles of Substance, as do all other forms of Energy. The magnetic qualities of a body СКАЧАТЬ