Ferguson's Lectures on Select Subjects in Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Optics, Geography, Astronomy, and Dialing: With Notes and an Appendix Adapted to the Present State of the Arts and Sciences, Volume 2

Front Cover
Bell & Bradfute, J. Fairbairn : Mundell, Doig, & Stevenson, Edinburgh : J. & A. Duncan, Glasgow : and T. Ostell ... London, 1806 - Astronomy - 2 pages

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 410 - ... alternately admitting the steam to the different sides of the smaller piston, while the steam last admitted into the smaller cylinder passes alternately to the different sides of the larger piston in the larger cylinder, the top and bottom of which are made to communicate alternately with the condenser. In an engine working with the improvements which have been just described, while the steam is admitted to one side of the piston in the smaller cylinder, the steam on the other side has room made...
Page 410 - ... pounds the square inch entering above the smaller piston, will carry it downwards, while the steam below it, instead of being allowed to escape into the atmosphere or applied to any other purpose, will pass into the larger cylinder above its piston, which will take its downward stroke at the same time that the piston of the smaller cylinder is doing the same thing ; and while this goes on, the steam which last filled the larger cylinder, in the upward stroke of the engine, will be passing into...
Page 287 - ... 7. The load at a maximum that sails of a similar figure and position will overcome, at a given distance from the centre of motion, will be as the cube of the radius.
Page 337 - ... planes. Mr. Ferguson found that the quantity of friction was always proportional to the weight of the rubbing body, and not to the quantity of surface, and that it increased with an increase of velocity, but was not proportional to the augmentation of celerity. He found also that the friction of smooth soft wood, moving upon smooth soft wood, was equal to \ of the weight ; of rough wood upon rough wood T of the weight ; of soft wood upon hard, or hard upon soft, f ot the weight ; of polished...
Page 4 - If the plane (still facing the meridian) be made to incline, or recline, by any given number of degrees, the hour-circles of the sphere will still cut the edge of the plane in those points to which the hour-lines must be drawn straight from the centre j and the axis of the sphere will cast a shadow on these lines at the respective hours.
Page 409 - ... are to be alternately opened and shut during the working of the engine. The top of the small cylinder should have a communication with the bottom of the larger cylinder, and the bottom of the smaller one with the top of the larger, with proper means to open and shut these alternately by cocks, valves, or any other well-known contrivance.
Page 67 - English, the reading of which is wholly neglected, or at least read to very little purpose, without any due observations made to them of the proper accent and manner of reading; by this means they have acquired such ill habits as will not easily be removed.
Page 133 - Q : making the distances between the tips of the hollows, as IK, LM, NO, and PQ, each equal to the radius of the quadrants ; and leaving sufficient room within the angular points, p, q, r, and s, for the equinoctial circle in the middle.
Page 8 - ... upon that plane, as far from each other as is equal to the intended thickness of the gnomon or stile of the dial, and the space included between them will be the meridian or twelve o'clock line on the dial. Cross this meridian at right angles with the six o'clock line...

Bibliographic information