Knowledge (XXG)

Imponderable fluid

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134:, and what not, with little hard atoms swimming about, each endowed with forces of repulsion and attraction of all sorts, as was thought desirable. This idea of the constitution of matter was perhaps the worst of all. These imponderable fluids were mere names, and these forces were suppositions, representing no 210:
consists of weights to which an electric charge has been applied, such as through the static electric effect. As masses with similar charges (i.e. both positive or both negative) will repel each other, an "electric fluid" was conceived to explain the effect: "the fluid diffused on the one ball repels
328:, a center of force, and "matter" is a crowd of such points, endowed with inertia and powers of attraction and repulsion.(The Monist: Volume 20. By Edward C. Hegeler, Paul Carus, Hegeler Institute, 1910. Page 220.) 417:
Grotthus, "Sur la Composition de l'Eau et des Corps quelle tient en dissolution a l'aide de l'Electricite galvanique". (Tr., On the Composition of Water Bodies and what holds in solution with the aid of galvanic
218:" by combining nitrogen and carbon in a porous cell containing ammonia, immersed in a vessel tilled with molasses. The current was to flow through silk threads attached to the vessel: about 1868. 311:
Time of describing a given space from rest under the action of a force varying as the distance from a fixed point. Principia By Sir Isaac Newton. Pg., 86
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and is repelled by the fluid diffused on the other ball, and that the balls being covered by the fluid are reciprocally repelled."
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was also much thought of as a medium. We even find half-a-dozen imponderable co-existent fluids regarded with favour,—one called
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moved in an ambient fluid, though the idea is not unlike his own. It is difficult to trace the origin of the hypothesis, but
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both speak of a subtle ether. The conception of an all-pervading imponderable fluid of this kind has formed part of
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exerted by a position or point only, where nothing existed but the power of exerting a force.
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described myriad hypotheses of physics that had been put forth involving imponderable fluids:
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Haydn's dictionary of dates and universal information relating to all ages and nations
425: 114:, and ether came to be very generally adopted as a favourite name for the fluid, but 107: 24: 237: 227: 411: 404: 256: 165: 143: 123: 72: 152:", speculators thought themselves at liberty to imagine any number of forces, 127: 64: 374:, Improved imponderable fluid, and mode of generating the same. Jan 1, 1867. 371: 169: 153: 52: 173: 161: 48: 44: 60: 148: 131: 119: 99: 83:
In an article published in 1868, English inventor and polymath
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got rid of atoms altogether, by supposing them to be the mere
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as the result of invisible and practically weightless (Latin:
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No attempt was made to show how or why the forces acted, but
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The North British review. (1868). Edinburgh: W.P. Kennedy
414:: With original experiments, by Joseph Priestley. London. 198:
The term "electric fluid" was sometimes used to describe
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which are generated by what science now refers to as an
324:, an atom was no longer a substantial entity, but a 214:
M. Martin Ziegler patented a method of producing a "
63:. Historically proposed imponderable fluids include 8: 412:The history and present state of electricity 269:Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth 259:, Leonard Landois , William Stirling, 1889 94:mentions with great disapproval a certain 71:; additionally some physicists considered 383:Haydn, J., & In Vincent, B. (1893). 249: 7: 405:The correlation of physical forces 271:, Stathis Psillos, 1999, Routledge 14: 320:As defined by Boscovich and the 283:"The Atomic Theory of Lucretius" 146:being taken as due to a mere " 21:superseded scientific theories 1: 437:Obsolete theories in physics 257:Textbook of Human Physiology 174:higher power of the distance 233:Corpuscular theory of light 194:Fluid theory of electricity 453: 407:. London: Longmans, Green. 191: 39:The term has been used in 281:Jenkin, Fleeming (1868). 356:A hand-book of mechanics 287:The North British Review 19:are features of several 206:. For example, a basic 162:varying as the distance 154:attractive or repulsive 410:Priestley, J. (1767). 140: 29:electromotive theories 403:Grove, W. R. (1874). 89: 387:. N.Y: G.P. Putnam 17:Imponderable fluids 326:mathematical point 98:who supposed that 41:natural philosophy 23:, such as archaic 372:U.S. patent 60986 208:electric pendulum 200:electrical forces 444: 391: 381: 375: 369: 363: 348: 342: 335: 329: 318: 312: 309: 303: 302: 300: 298: 278: 272: 266: 260: 254: 182:centre of forces 176:, etc. At last, 452: 451: 447: 446: 445: 443: 442: 441: 432:Aether theories 422: 421: 400: 398:Further reading 395: 394: 382: 378: 370: 366: 358:. Philadelphia 349: 345: 336: 332: 319: 315: 310: 306: 296: 294: 280: 279: 275: 267: 263: 255: 251: 246: 224: 196: 190: 85:Fleeming Jenkin 81: 79:Fluids theories 37: 12: 11: 5: 450: 448: 440: 439: 434: 424: 423: 420: 419: 415: 408: 399: 396: 393: 392: 376: 364: 343: 330: 313: 304: 273: 261: 248: 247: 245: 242: 241: 240: 235: 230: 223: 220: 204:electric field 192:Main article: 189: 188:Electric fluid 186: 178:Ruđer Bošković 136:observed facts 80: 77: 75:imponderable. 57:imponderabilis 36: 33: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 449: 438: 435: 433: 430: 429: 427: 418:electricity.) 416: 413: 409: 406: 402: 401: 397: 390: 386: 380: 377: 373: 368: 365: 361: 357: 353: 347: 344: 340: 334: 331: 327: 323: 322:French School 317: 314: 308: 305: 292: 288: 284: 277: 274: 270: 265: 262: 258: 253: 250: 243: 239: 236: 234: 231: 229: 226: 225: 221: 219: 217: 212: 209: 205: 201: 195: 187: 185: 183: 179: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 151: 150: 145: 139: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 112:many theories 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 88: 86: 78: 76: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 46: 42: 34: 32: 30: 26: 22: 18: 379: 367: 355: 346: 333: 316: 307: 295:. Retrieved 290: 286: 276: 264: 252: 238:Energeticism 228:Newtonianism 215: 213: 197: 147: 141: 90: 82: 56: 38: 16: 15: 352:Lardner, D. 216:vital fluid 158:alternating 144:gravitation 124:electricity 73:electricity 35:Description 426:Categories 244:References 130:, another 128:phlogiston 126:, another 122:, another 96:Hartsoeker 65:phlogiston 354:(1853 ). 164:, or the 53:phenomena 222:See also 51:certain 116:caloric 104:Galileo 92:Leibniz 69:caloric 49:explain 45:physics 339:Pg 126 297:30 May 166:square 108:Hobbes 61:fluids 25:atomic 389:Pg 28 293:: 239 172:, or 156:, or 149:force 132:light 100:atoms 299:2014 170:cube 120:heat 106:and 67:and 43:and 27:and 360:223 47:to 428:: 350:J 291:48 289:. 285:. 168:, 160:, 138:. 59:) 31:. 362:. 341:. 301:.

Index

superseded scientific theories
atomic
electromotive theories
natural philosophy
physics
explain
phenomena
fluids
phlogiston
caloric
electricity
Fleeming Jenkin
Leibniz
Hartsoeker
atoms
Galileo
Hobbes
many theories
caloric
heat
electricity
phlogiston
light
observed facts
gravitation
force
attractive or repulsive
alternating
varying as the distance
square

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