Part 20

53. (Pg. 43) If you throw an elastic body against a wall, it will rebound; what is this occasioned by, and what is this return motion called?

54. (Pg. 43) What do we mean by a perpendicular line?

55. (Pg. 43) What is an angle?

56. (Pg. 43) What is represented by fig. 1. plate 2?

57. (Pg. 44) Have the length of the lines which meet in a point, any thing to do with the measurement of an angle?

58. (Pg. 44) What use can we make of compasses in measuring an angle?

59. (Pg. 44) Into what number of parts do we suppose a whole circle divided, and what are these parts called?

60. (Pg. 44) When are two angles said to be equal?

61. (Pg. 44) Upon what does the dimension of an angle depend?

62. (Pg. 44) What number of degrees, and what portion of a circle is there in a right angle?

63. (Pg. 44) How must one line be situated on another to form two right angles? (fig. 1.)

64. (Pg. 44) Figure 2 represents an angle of more than 90 degrees, what is that called?

65. (Pg. 44) What are those of less than 90 degrees called as in fig. 3?

66. (Pg. 45) If you make an elastic ball strike a body at right angles, how will it return?

67. (Pg. 45) How if it strikes obliquely?

68. (Pg. 45) Explain by fig. 4 what is meant by the angles of incidence and of reflection.

CONVERSATION IV.

ON COMPOUND MOTION.

COMPOUND MOTION, THE RESULT OF TWO OPPOSITE FORCES. OF CURVILINEAR MOTION, THE RESULT OF TWO FORCES. CENTRE OF MOTION, THE POINT AT REST WHILE THE OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY MOVE ROUND IT. CENTRE OF MAGNITUDE, THE MIDDLE OF A BODY. CENTRIPETAL FORCE, THAT WHICH IMPELS A BODY TOWARDS A FIXED CENTRAL POINT. CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, THAT WHICH IMPELS A BODY TO FLY FROM THE CENTRE. FALL OF BODIES IN A PARABOLA. CENTRE OF GRAVITY, THE POINT ABOUT WHICH THE PARTS BALANCE EACH OTHER.

MRS. B.

I must now explain to you the nature of compound motion. Let us suppose a body to be struck by two equal forces in opposite directions, how will it move?

Emily. If the forces are equal, and their directions are in exact opposition to each other, I suppose the body would not move at all.

Mrs. B. You are perfectly right; but suppose the forces instead of acting upon the body in direct opposition to each other, were to move in lines forming an angle of ninety degrees, as the lines Y A, X A, (fig. 5. plate 2.) and were to strike the ball A, at the same instant; would it not move?

Emily. The force X alone, would send it towards B, and the force Y towards C; and since these forces are equal, I do not know how the body can obey one impulse rather than the other; and yet I think the ball would move, because as the two forces do not act in direct opposition, they cannot entirely destroy the effect of each other.

Mrs. B. Very true; the ball therefore will not follow the direction of either of the forces, but will move in a line between them, and will reach D in the same space of time, that the force X would have sent it to B, and the force Y would have sent it to C. Now if you draw two lines, one from B, parallel to A C, and the other from C, parallel to A B, they will meet in D, and you will form a square; the oblique line which the body describes, is called the diagonal of the square.

Caroline. That is very clear, but supposing the two forces to be unequal, that the force X, for instance, be twice as great as the force Y?

Mrs. B. Then the force X, would drive the ball twice as far as the force Y, consequently you must draw the line A B (fig. 6.) twice as long as the line A C, the body will in this case move to D; and if you draw lines from the points B and C, exactly as directed in the last example, they will meet in D, and you will find that the ball has moved in the diagonal of a rectangle.

Emily. Allow me to put another case. Suppose the two forces are unequal, but do not act on the ball in the direction of a right angle, but in that of an acute angle, what will result?