Page:Experimental researches in chemistry and.djvu/329

314 same instant that the centre of gravity of the rocker is, by the momentum of the latter, moving in the opposite direction: hence a very simple maintaining power, sufficient, whenever the rocker continues to vibrate, to compensate for the loss of force in each half of the vibration which would occur if the rocker and lead were of the same temperature. Mr. Faraday illustrated the sustaining force of the lateral motion of the points of support, by placing a rocker on a piece of lead, and the latter on a board. A pair of sugar-tongs was held tightly by the bend against the edge of the board, so that the line from the tongs towards the rocker was perpendicular to the axis of the latter. On making the limbs of the sugar-tongs vibrate in the manner of a tuning-fork, they communicated longitudinal vibrations of equal duration and number to the board, and through it to the lead and points supporting the rocker; which latter itself immediately acquired vibratory motion isochronous with the vibrations of the tongs, and by successive blows upon the lead produced sound; upon removing the rocker, and repeating the other parts of the experiment, no sound was produced.

Experiments with other metals were then made. A piece of curved silver plate being heated and placed on an iron triblet, rocked and sang in the manner of the others; this is an effect which working silversmiths have long known. The superiority of lead, as the cold metal, was referred to its great expansive force by heat, combined with its deficient conducting power, which is not a fifth of that of copper, silver, or gold; so that the heat accumulates much more at the point of contact in it, than it could do in the latter metals.

Mr. Trevelyan's paper had been read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, but is not yet published. Mr. Faraday stated that Mr. Trevelyan had very liberally allowed him the use of a written copy.

[Read May 12, 1831.]

1. beautiful series of forms assumed by sand, filings, or other grains, when lying upon vibrating plates, discovered and