Elements of chemistry ... / [John Murray].

  • Murray, J. (John), -1820
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of chemistry ... / [John Murray]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    39/1076 (page 25)
    BOOK I. OF ATTRACTION. Attraction is a term employed in philosophical lan- guage to denote that power or force by which the masses or particles of matter have a tendency to approach to each other, and to enter into more or less intimate contact or union. Different species of attraction have been obser- ved, which give rise to different phenomena, and operate, so far as can be traced, according to different laws. The attraction of gravitation is exerted at sensible, and often at immense distances, and between masses of the greatest size: its force, according to the law demonstrated by Newton, being directly as the mass or quantity of mat- ter, and inversely as the square of the distance. The magnetic and electric attractions, though they give rise to peculiar classes of phenomena, so far coincide witli the at-*- traction of gravity, as to operate at sensible distances, and on masses of matter, and even, as has been attempted to be demonstrated, according to the same law. Besides these, a species of attraction is exerted between the particles ol matter, and at distances generally insensi- ble. This force, when exerted between particles of the same kind, is named the Attraction of Aggregation or Cohesion : when exerted between particles of different