William Brownrigg's papers on fire-damps

2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Tomory
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Heterogeneous Mixture ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Elastic Fluid ◽  
State Of Matter ◽  
Elastic Fluids

In 1741–42, William Brownrigg prepared five papers on fire-damps for the Royal Society in which he articulated a theory of a gaseous state of matter, argued that different sorts of elastic fluid existed, and claimed that atmospheric air was a heterogeneous mixture of various elastic fluids with different properties that had only their elasticity in common. Although these papers were never published, there is a strong possibility that they influenced the later development of pneumatic chemistry, because Henry Cavendish was very probably aware of a good portion of their contents.

scholarly journals On the thermal effects of elastic fluids

1854 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 331-332
Keyword(s):  
Porous Material ◽  
Thermal Effects ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Steam Engine ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Elastic Fluid ◽  
Sources Of Error ◽  
Introductory Part ◽  
Elastic Fluids

The authors had already proved by experiments conducted on a small scale, that when dry atmospheric air, exposed to pressure, is made to percolate a plug of non-conducting porous material, a depression of temperature takes place increasing in some proportion with the pressure of the air in the receiver. The numerous sources of error which were to be apprehended in experiments of this kind conducted on a small scale, induced the authors to apply for the means of executing them on a larger scale; and the present paper contains the introductory part of their researches with apparatus furnished by the Royal Society, comprising a force pump worked by a steam-engine and capable of propelling 250 cubic inches of air per second, and a series of tubes by which the elastic fluid is conveyed through a bath of water, by which its temperature is regulated, a flange at the terminal permitting the attachment of any nozle which is desired.

scholarly journals I. On a fourth state of matter, in a letter to the Secretary. By W. Crookes, F. R. S

1880 ◽  
Vol 30 (200-205) ◽  
pp. 469-472 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
The Subject ◽  
State Of Matter ◽  
The Moment

Dear Professor Stokes, In introducing the discussion on Mr. Spottiswoode and Mr. Moulton’s paper on the “ Sensitive State of Vacuum Discharges,” at the meeting of the Royal Society on April 15th, Dr. De la Rue, who occupied the chair, good-naturedly challenged me to substantiate my statement that there is such a thing as a fourth or ultra-gaseous state of matter. I had no time then to enter fully into the subject; nor was I prepared, on the spur of the moment, to marshal all the facts and reasons which have led me to this conclusion. But as I find that many other scientific men besides Dr. De la Rue are in doubt as to whether matter has been show to exist in a state beyond that of gas, I will now endeavour to substantiate my position.

scholarly journals XIII. On the constitution of the atmosphere

1826 ◽  
Vol 116 ◽  
pp. 174-187 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Sir Isaac Newton ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Isaac Newton ◽  
Elastic Fluid ◽  
Elastic Fluids

The fact discovered by Boyle and Marriotte, that the space occupied by air is in the inverse ratio of the pressure, is one of great importance in the doctrine of elastic fluids. It may probably not be mathematically true in extreme cases; but in those where the condensations and rarefactions do not exceed 50 or 100 times, there is reason to believe the above ratio is a very near approximation to the truth. Sir Isaac Newton has shown in the 23d prop, book ii. of the Principia, that if homogeneous particles of matter were endued with a power of repulsion in the inverse ratio of their central distances, collectively they would form an elastic fluid agreeing with atmospheric air in its mechanical properties. He does not infer from this demonstration that elastic fluids must necessarily consist of such particles; and his argument requires that the repulsive power of each particle terminate, or very nearly so, in the adjacent particles. From the scholium to this proposition, Newton was evidently aware of the difficulty of conceiving how the repulsive action of such particles could terminate so abruptly as his supposition demands; but in order to show that such cases exist in nature, he finds a parallel one in magnetism.

scholarly journals VIII.—Note as to the Dynamical Equivalent of Temperature in Liquid Water, and the Specific Heat of Atmospheric Air and Steam, being a Supplement to a Paper On the Mechanical Action of Heat

1853 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-193
Author(s):  
William John Macquorn Rankine
Keyword(s):  
Cast Iron ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Constant Pressure ◽  
Mechanical Action ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Detailed Account ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Apparent Specific Heat

(33*.) In my paper on the Mechanical Action of Heat, published in the 1st Part of the 20th Volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, some of the numerical results depend upon the dynamical equivalent of a degree of temperature in liquid water. The value of that quantity which I then used, was calculated from the experiments of De la Roche and Bérard on the apparent specific heat of atmospheric air under constant pressure, as compared with liquid water.The experiments of Mr Joule on the production of heat by friction, give, for the specific heat of liquid water, an equivalent about one-ninth part greater than that which is determined from those of De la Roche and Bérard. I was formerly disposed to ascribe this discrepancy in a great measure to the smallness of the differences of temperature measured by Mr Joule, and to unknown causes of loss of power in his apparatus, such as the production of sound and of electricity; but, subsequently to the publication of my paper, I have seen the detailed account of Mr Joule's last experiments in the Philosophical Transactions for 1850, which has convinced me, that the uncertainty arising from the smallness of the elevations of temperature, is removed by the multitude of experiments (being forty on water, fifty on mercury, and twenty on cast iron); that the agreement amongst the results from substances so different, shews that the error by unknown losses of power is insensible, or nearly so; and that the necessary conclusion is, that the dynamical value assigned by Mr Joule to the specific heat of liquid water, viz.:—772 feet per degree of Fahrenheit, does not err by more than two or at the utmost, three feet; and therefore, that the discrepancy originates chiefly in the experiments of De la Roche and Bérard.

scholarly journals The Bakerian lecture: On the gaseous state of matter

1876 ◽  
Vol 24 (164-170) ◽  
pp. 455-459 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressures ◽  
Carbonic Acid ◽  
Glass Tube ◽  
Gaseous State ◽  
Acid Gas ◽  
Original Memoir ◽  
Glass Tubes ◽  
The Mean ◽  
State Of Matter ◽  
Mean Time

After referring to certain modifications in his former method of working at high pressures, the author describes some preliminary experiments which were undertaken to determine the change of capacity in the capillary bore of the glass tubes under the pressures employed. From these experiments it appears that, on raising the pressure from 5 to 110 atmospheres, the capacity was increased for each atmosphere by only 0·0000036, and that this change of capacity was chiefly due to compression of the internal walls of the glass tube. Another set of experiments was made to ascertain whether air or carbonic-acid gas is absorbed at high pressures to any appreciable extent by mercury. For the method of operating and other details reference must be made to the original memoir; but the general result is that no absorption whatever takes place, even at pressures of 50 or 100 atmospheres. The pressures are given according to the indications of the air-manometer in the absence of sufficient data (which the author hopes will be soon supplied) for reducing them to true pressures. In the mean time it is probable, from the experiments of Cailletet, that the indications of the air-manometer are almost exact at 200 atmospheres, and for lower pressures do not in any case deviate more than from the true amount. In a note which was published last year in the ‘Proceedings’ of the Society (No. 163), it was staffed that the coefficient of expansion ( a ) for heat under constant pressure changes in value both with the pressure and with the temperature. The experiments on this subject are now completed, and are described at length in this paper. The final results will be found in the two following Tables. In the first Table the values of a are referred to a unit volume at 0º and under one atmosphere. In the first column the pressure p in atmospheres is in terms of the air-manometer.

scholarly journals XXVII. The Bakerian Lecture.-On radiant matter spectroscopy: The detection and wide distribution of Yttrium

1883 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 891-918 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Induction Coil ◽  
Great Intensity ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Negative Pole ◽  
Dark Space ◽  
Residual Gas ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Appearance Changes

In March, 1881, I sent to the Royal Society a preliminary notice of some results I had obtained when working on the molecular discharge in high vacua. When the spark from a good induction coil traverses a tube having a flat aluminium pole at each end, the appearance changes according to the degree of exhaustion. Supposing atmospheric air to be the gas under exhaustion, at a pressure of about 7 millims. a narrow black space is seen to separate the luminous glow and the aluminium pole connected with the negative pole of the induction coil. As the exhaustion proceeds this dark space increases in thickness, until, at a pressure of about 0.02 millim. (between 20 and 30M.), the dark space has swollen out till it nearly fills the tube. The luminous cloud showing the presence of residual gas has almost disappeared, and the molecular discharge from the negative pole begins to excite phosphorescence on the glass where it strikes the side. There is great difference in the degree of exhaustion at which various substances begin to phosphoresce. Some refuse to glow until the exhaustion is so great that the vacuum is nearly non-conducting, whilst others begin to become luminous when the gauge is 5 or 10 millims. below the barometric level. The majority of bodies, however, do not phosphoresce till they are well within the negative dark space. This phosphorogenic phenomenon is at its maximum at about 1M., and, unless otherwise stated, the experiments now about to be described were all tried at this high degree of exhaustion. Under the influence of this discharge, which I have ventured to call radiant matter, a large number of substances emit phosphorescent light, some faintly and others with great intensity. On examining the emitted light in the spectroscope most bodies give a faint continuous spectrum, with a more or less decided concentration in one part of the spectrum, the superficial colour of the phosphorescing substance being governed by this preponderating emission in one or other part of the spectrum.

scholarly journals XV. On the influence of atmospheric pressure upon some of the phenomena of combustion

1862 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 366-372 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Atmospheric Air

The author has concluded his experiments upon this subject ; and, in addition to the details of the results which have already been briefly mentioned in the ‘ Proceedings of the Royal Society’, com­municates the following :— Although the rate of burning of candles and other similar combustibles, whose flames depend upon the volatilization and ignition of combustible matter in contact with atmospheric air, is not per­ceptibly affected by the pressure of the supporting medium, yet this is not true of all combustibles.

scholarly journals XI. Experimental researches on the movement of atmospheric air in tubes

1856 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 466-475
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Cylindrical Tube ◽  
Vertical Tube ◽  
The Other ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Open Atmosphere ◽  
Experimental Researches

In the year 1847, the author of this paper made numerous experiments for the purpose of ascertaining what are the conditions under which atmospheric air is placed with regard to motion or rest, when within a vertical tube having one extremity communicating within the interior of a building, and the other in the open atmosphere. The paper now submitted to the Royal Society contains the results of investigations undertaken in the year 1853 and continued to the present time, to ascertain whether the ordinary state of atmospheric air contained in a vertical cylindrical tube, open at both ends, and placed in the still atmosphere of a closed room, is one of rest or of motion; and if of motion, to investigate the influences of certain changes in the condition of the atmosphere which either produce, promote, retard, or arrest the movement.

scholarly journals XXXIX. Continuation of an experimental inquiry concerning the nature of the mineral elastic spirit, or air, contained in the Pouhon water, and other aciculæ

1774 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 357-371
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Mineral Water ◽  
The Other ◽  
Elastic Fluid

Sir, You have often, with others of my friends, been pleased to inquire after the continuation of my experiments on the mineral water of spa, which I promised to communicate to the Royal Society, with a view to explain "the mode of union that exists between the "air of those waters, and the other principles of "which they are composed, together with the "relation which that elastic fluid bears to common "air, and to various other bodies ( a )."

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