Inertia and Gravitation

Author(s): Reginald A. Fessenden

Source: Science , Aug. 31, 1900, New Series, Vol. 12, No. 296 (Aug. 31, 1900), pp. 325-328
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1629562

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AUGUST 31, 1900.] SCIENCE. 325

Charles
Charles Lawrence
Lawrence
Sargent:
Sargent:
Alloys ofAlloys
Tungstenofand Inand
Tungsten 1890 * and 1891 t the writer intro-
of
ofMolybdenum
Molybdenum obtained
obtained
in the Electric
in the Furnace.
Electric Furnace.
duced, for the first time, the conception
Charles
Charles Hugh
Hugh
Shaw:Shaw:
A Comparative
A Comparative
Study of the
Study of the
flowers
flowers of of
Polygala
Polygala
polygama
polygama
and P. paucifora,
and P.with
that
paucifora,
a
it was not only, as in the electrochem-
with a
Discussion
Discussion of Cleistogamy.
of Cleistogamy. ical theories of Davy, Berzelius, Helmholtz,
Albert Duncan Yocum: An Inquiry into the and others, atoms in chemical combination
Fundamental Processes of Addition and Subtraction.
or the dissociated components of a mble-
COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY.
cule, which had charges; but that all atoms,
Eugene Byrnes,: Experiments on the direct Conver-
even in such substances as metallic copper
sion of the Energy of Carbon into Electrical Energy.
and silver, possessed charges, and that the
Charles Russel Ely: Investigation of Phenomenon
of Deliquescence and of the Capacity of Salts to at-
so-called neutral atoms were not devoid of
tract Water Vapor. charges, 'but had equal quantities of both
Ernestine Fireman: The Action of Phosponium kinds of electricity.'
Iodide on Tetra and Penta Chlorides.
For practically a year it was found im-
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
possible to secure publication of this theory,
Walter Charles Blasdale: A Chemical Study of
thethe
two principal objections which the edi-
Indument found on the Fronds] of Gymnogramme
triangularis.
tors to whom it was sent made to it being
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE. that in the first place it was a fundamental
Florence Peebles: Experiments in Regeneration
fact that all electric charges must reside
and in Grafting of Hydrozoa.
on the outside of conductors, and that
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
consequently the atoms of a conductor,
Eugene Cyrus Woodruff: The Effects of Temper-
such as copper, could not possibly have in-
ature on the Tuning Fork.
dividual charges, and secondly that 'the
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
atoms,being self-evidently conductors them-
Bruce Fink: Contributions to a Knowledge of the
Lichens of Minnesota.
selves, or else the metal as a whole could
not conduct,' the postulated equal charges
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
on the atoms would immediately neutralize
Charles Fordyce: The Cladocera of Nebraska.
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY.
each other. A brief note was finally pub-
lished by the kindness of the editor of the
Henry Norris Russell: The General Perturbations
Electrical
of the Major Areis of Eros caused by the Action of World in that paper,+ but ac-
Mars; with the corresponding Terms in the companied
Mean with an editorial to the effect
Longitude. that though the numerical relations con-
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY.
necting the elastic constants with atomic
J. Magruder Sullivan: Coal Tar Pitch and its
High-boiling Fractions and Residue. volume, discovered by the writer and ad-
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
duced as proof of the theory, were no doubt
interesting, the theory was probably wrong,
Carl Edward Magnusson: The Anomalous Disper-
sion of Cyanin. and the efforts due 'to intermolecular forces
just about sufficient to account for the par-
INERTIA AND GRA VITATION. ticular sort of strain which we know as an
electric charge.'
IT was shown by J. J. Thomson ('Effects
The above is not mentioned for the pur-
produced by the Motion of Electrified
pose of
Bodies,' Phil. Mag., April, 1881), that a discrediting the judgment of the
charged body has more inertia thaneditors an un-
referred to, for when even specialists
charged one.* did not, at a much later date, see that it
* The formula there given contains a slight slip in could be reconciled with the physical facts,
the numerical coefficient, as was first pointed out by *Lecture, Elect. Soc., Newark, May, 1890.
Heaviside. J should be written for A2. t Elec. World., Aug. 8 and Aug. 22, 1891.

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326 SCIENCE. [N. S. VOL. XII. No. 296.

there is, of course, much excuse for those

calls ' corpuscles,' each possessing an elec-
who were not specialists in this particular tric charge. In this paper (in the December
line. But attention is called to it as illus- number of the Phil. Mag., 1899), Thomson
trating the general trend of ideas at the recurred to the question of inertia being an
time when the writer first attempted to electrical effect, but considered that there is
introduce his theory. at present no evidence to decide whether
Some time later, in Europe, similar ideas the corpuscles are small enough.
were put forward by other writers, notably In 1891 the writer had shown that the
by Richartz, Lorentz, Chattock, Larmor atoms of a body in the solid state must be
and others, and at the present time the nearly touching each other, 'and that the
theory may be considered to be on a strong phenomena which were supposed to militate
footing. most strongly against this supposition could
The theory thus originated by me, that be accounted for in a very simple manner.
the ionic charge is always associated with In a later paper* (read before the A. A. A. S.,
tlhe atom, in all conditions, naturally led to
Columbus meeting, August, 1899), I showed
the conception that it might be the inertia that though the atoms were nearly touch-
effect of such a charge, acting in the way ing each other, yet they really filled less
first shown by J. J. Thomson, which caused than i- per cent. of the space which they
the inertia of matter. This idea was ad- occupied to the exclusion of other atoms.
vanced by several writers, amongst others From the two facts, i. e., Thomson's dis-
by Dr. Kennelly. But it was easily shown, that the number of corpuscles in a
covery
and had in fact been ascertained previously hydrogen atom is of at least the order of
by the writer, and no doubt by others, one that,
thousand, and the writer's discovery
with the known dimensions of the atom, that the real volume of the atom is but a
this hypothesis was untenable, the effect so small portion of the space occupied by the
produced being only about 10-8 of that atom, we arrive at the conclusion that the
necessary. atom must be made up of a large number
In subsequent papers,* the writer put of corpuscles separated from each other by
forward the idea that " the atoms may be distances considerably larger than their di-
formed of vortex rings arranged in different ameters. This gives us data for making an
kinds of space nets, with the direction of approximate estimate as to the ability of
rotation of the vortex rings such as will the corpuscular charges to account for the
make these combinations stable," and that inertia of the atom, and on making this
" one might picture to one's self a vast por-calculation, we find, as the writer has
tion of the 'atom dust' from which Mr. shown,t that it really is the probable cause.
Spencer develops his universe, made of vor- In other words, we may feel fairly con-
tices and splitting up in these 67 ways tofident that inertia is really not a separate
form the elements.'" and distinct thing, but merely a property
This hypothesis had for some time no due to the fact that the atom is made up
real foundation. During the past year, of a very large number of electric charges.
however, the wonderful work of J. J. I have recently found that gravitation
Thomson has resulted in almost certain can also be accounted for as a property
proof of the fact that the atom is really
* ' A Determination of the Nature of the Electric
made up of a large number of what he
and Magnetic Quantities and of the Density and
* Articles on Insulation, Elect. World, March, 1893,
Elasticity of the Ether,' Phys. Rev., January, 1900.
et seq. t 'Inertia.' Elect. World, 1900.

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AUGUST 31, 1900.] SCIENCE. 327

of these same corpuscular charges. It I may here mention that I have found
was first pointed out by Newton that if that the equation
the density of the ether continually in-
M/L = M/LT x T/L2,
creased as we move away from a particle of
matter, that we should obtain a gravita- given in the paper in the Physical Review,
tional effect. Later it was shown by other above referred to, and stated to represent a
writers, notably by Kelvin, that the samephenomenon not yet discovered, really rep-
result would follow if the density decreased. resents Kerr's electrostatic optical effect,
No way of accounting for this continuous and the above gravitational effect, and
variation of density has as yet been sug-
that this effect therefore varies directly
gested. Again, it was shown by Maxwell with the elastic coefficient of the dielectric.
that on any stressed medium theory of grav-
As this is one of the remaining links neces-
itation, the stresses must be enormous, sary to complete the full chain of proof of
whilst the estimates given by Kelvin of the the theory there given, this latter is thus
elastic constants for the ether were not such put upon a still firmer footing.*
apparently as to permit of this. But the The weight of matter in a gaseous state
writer showed, in the paper above referred should be very slightly greater than in the
to, that the elasticity of the ether is im- solid state, and iron should weigh slightly
mensely great, i. e., 6 x 1020. Now if we less when dissolved. It is doubtful, how-
calculate, as I have done in one of the papers
ever, whether the experimental conditions
referred to, what the diameter of the cor- are not too difficult. If the measurement
puscle must be, in order that it shall give could be made it would give an independ-
the inertia effect, and from that calculate ent method of arriving at the size of the
the electrostatic stress at the surface of a corpuscle.
corpuscle, we find that it is of the order The writer has pointed out that the Kel-
1020, and this stress acting on a medium vin-Maxwell theorem, deduced from the
whose elastic coefficients are as given, I phenomenon of the electromagnetic rotation
have found, can produce a change of den- of light, that whenever we have a magnetic
sity sufficient to give the observed gravita- field we have also a rotation of the medium,
tional attraction. is incorrect, in that it assumes that light
We thus find that both inertia and gravi- consists of a certain kind of periodic mo-
tation are electrical effects and due to the tion for which there is no evidence. The
fact that the atom consists of corpuscular question arises: In spite of the fact that
charges. The constant ratio between quan- the supposedly general theorem is incorrect,
tity of inertia and quantity of gravitation, is there any actual material rotation con-
for a given body, is thus explained. We cerned in the electromagnetic rotation of
may state the theory thus: light ? The answer I would give is ' yes,
The inertia of matter is due to the electro- but not as a cause, merely as an effect.'
magnetic inductance of the corpuscular charges, According to the theory advanced by the
and gravitation is due to the change of density of writer,t the rotation is a consequence of
the ether surrounding the corpuscles, this change light absorption, and can only take place
of density being a secondary effect arising from thein an absorbing medium. When the light
electrostatic stresses of the corpuscular charges.waves strike the atoms,, if the period of vi-
A fuller paper on this subject is in course * A Determination of the Nature of the Electric and
of preparation, but will be delayed for some Magnetic Quantities. Phys. Rev., January, 1900.
time by pressure of other work. t Ibid.

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328 SCIENCE. [N. S. VOL. XII. No. 296.

bration
bration of
of the
the corpuscular
corpusculargroups
groupsisisvery
verymembers
same
same members as as
those
those
in the
in the
parentparent
so- so-
different
different from
from that
that of
ofthe
thewaves,
waves,there
there isis
ciety.
no absorption,
absorption, and
and the
thelight
lightpasses
passesthrough
through
Meetings during this week and next will
unchanged.
unchanged. But
But at
at or
or near
nearsynchronism
synchronism
be held here by fifteen affiliated societies.
the group
group isis set
set in
in vibration
vibrationand
andcauses
causesthe the
In December, 1898, nine separate socie-
electric
electric displacement
displacement to tolag
lagbehind
behindthe the vol-
vol-
ties met during the same week at this uni-
tivity.
tivity. Hence,
Hence, the
the group
groupbeing
beingset
setininvibra-
vibra-
versity, and nearly every paper presented
tion,
tion, and
and being
being inin aa magnetic
magneticfield, would have been received by some of the
field,ititmust,
must,
as was
was first
first pointed
pointed outoutby
bythe
thewriter,*
writer,* sections
and of the American Association.
and
later
later by
by Lorentz,
Lorentz, rotate.
rotate.But
Butthis
thisrotation
rotationThe Fifth Congress of American Physi-
is not
not aa cause
cause ofof the
the light
lightrotation,
rotation,butbut anan and Surgeons was held at Washing-
cians
effect. ton, D. C., on May 1st, 2d and 3d. Four-
REGINALD A. FESSENDEN.
teen distinct societies joined in the triennial
Congress.
THE WORK OF THE SOCIETY FOR AGRI- In much the same way journals occupy-
CULTURAL EDUCATION.t ing special fields of science have multiplied.
DURING the sixties in the AgriculturalPrevious to 1880, a number of American
College, with which I have long been con-societies were organized for the discussion
of agricultural topics and those of a kin-
nected, one professor taught classes in ag-
dred nature. For several reasons most of
riculture, animal physiology, veterinary,
these survived only long enough to hold
breeds of live stock, stock feeding, farm
from one to three meetings.
crops, civil engineering, and was superin-
tendent of the farm. In recent times this In 1880, at Boston, a new plan was tried,
work has been placed in the hands of viz,
a that of organizing the Society for the
Promotion of Agricultural Science, consist-
dozen or more persons. I need not enum-
ing of twenty-one persons. It was the de-
erate similar instances of the recent divis-
termination of its members to strive for
ion of labor as exemplified in our universi-
ties. This is a day of specialists and thepapers of genuine worth and make no effort
end is not yet. to draw crowded houses or to make a great
The American Association for the Ad- display in any manner, whatever. The So-
vancement of Science, which we shall cietyattendafter continuing for twenty-one years
here next week, when first organized has demonstrated beyond question that it
had
no sections, but the members all metisto- entitled to live and has important work
gether as long as the meetings continued. to perform. In all, up to this time, there
have been only one hundred and ten mem-
By degrees, as you all know, they increased
till there are now nine sections, each bers.
with aThose who have continued active,
full quota of officers, not to mentionhave somebeen too conservative to suit a very
sub-sections. few who were impatient for large num-
Recently, as though this was not enough, bers and more display. To most of us, it
there have been formed a considerable num- seemed of first importance to become ac-
ber of distinct organizations, the programs quainted with each other and learn the
of some of which contain much the same peculiarities of the members. Some men
range of papers, presented mostly by arethe
restive and never remain active in any
* Elect. World, May 18, 1895. society for a very long time. Such may be
expected
t President's Address at the Twentieth Meeting of to drop out and others will be
elected
the Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science. to fill the places left vacant. Had

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