Page:Electricity (1912) Kapp.djvu/11



conception of a force as something which pushes or pulls is familiar to every one. Equally familiar is the conception of an intervening link by which a force is transmitted from one body to another. If I pull a bucket of water out of a well the push exerted by the water on the bottom of the pail is transmitted to my hand by a very simple series of links. The bottom of the bucket pulls at its sides, these pull at the handle, the handle pulls the rope, and that finally pulls at my hand. We have here a transmission of force by links, all of which are in bodily contact. Thus far the process of transmission presents no difficulty to our conception of a force, but when we come to inquire why the water presses against the