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F R E D E R IC!
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WA T T S
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HO V E N D E N
S CO U R
F LE E T ST RE E T , LO N D O N , E C
.
.
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Thi s
What
w ork
i s th e
Heat?
is
sequel
an d
What
ba c k l
Of c over
S ee
to th e Author
ea f
e my 8
Work
Electrici ty?
18
.
S ix S
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(
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Where are We
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Come
F R E D E R IC!
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ma ny Ill u stra ti on s
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FR E D
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IO V E N D E N ,
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F ellow
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si ca l
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CO U R T F LE E T S T R E E T
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J O HN S O N
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9
S oci ety
Lon don
LO N D
ON
E C
.
F A LS E
ON
E D U CAT IO N
m
B
h
b
a
h
doe not thi look like agic ?
a
not
si m ple B ronet
s,
ersw
s s
O N F ALS E EDU
CA TIO N
'
W i tne ss the
s s
u s, s
P rof essor !
P erry, F R S
.
t
o
p
en
us
s
,
ON
FA L S E
E DUCAT I O N
t h e su n
on
W e h av e di s c u ss io n s o n t h e p ri n cipl es of
m ec h a n i c s o n t h e fou n d ati o n s o f g e o m etry o n t h e logic o f the
m o st r ud i m e n t a ry a r i t h m et ic a l p roc e sses a s we ll as o f the
T h ese di scu ss io n s
m o re a rt ici al ope ra ti o n s o f t h e C al c ulu s
a n d h av e l e d t o s o m e res ul ts
a re l e gi ti m ate a n d i n ev i t a bl e
w hich are n ow w id e l y acc e p te d
,
,
.
FA L S E
ON
E DU CA TIO N
quotient
A ny departure from these fundamental id ea s
is a species Of delu sion or mental disease be c ause n o
physi c al proc esses c orrespond to the expressio ns o r
formul ae Now algebra abrogates these simple fu n d a
mental c oncepts gets rid o f the multipli cand and the
multiplier and the conceptions attached to the word s
a n d ca lls these
factors
Thus the mind gets i nto
pure abstractions the con c ept of the physical operatio n
with the idea of form which is embodied i n prac tica l
arithmeti c is ab o lished
F rom this fu ndamental error
a rises the notion that Objects can be multipl ied together
and the product can be quite foreign to the m u ltiplicand
hen c e such an order Of thought arises that an Object say
One apple may be m ultiplied i nto another Obje c t say
one pear and the p roduct one unit will be neither
apple n o r pear b u t a metaphy si cal something absolutel y
foreign to both of the factors ! Having made this
fundamental error algebra ere c ts an enormous mental
edice u pon an absolutel y impossible or rotten fou n da
tion Possibly algebra must be destroy ed if we are to
make progress A rithmetic is s u f cient ; i ndeed algebra
c an not be worked unti l the sy mbols are converted into
gures and worked when tru e by the foundation of
s :
"
s.
s a re
sa
or
ssu
s.
ON
FA L S E
ED
U CAT IO N
ON
Io
F A L S E E DU CAT I O N
r
:
self
This is ve y clever it is a perfectl y straight l i n e
it is mathemati call y c orre c t it is quite rigid and Natu re
must obey su c h an exact formula
So he pointed to
the li n e and said to the waves : Thus far and n o
further shalt thou ascend
This is an attempt to bind
Nat u re to arbitrary rigid mathematica l lines The pre
sumption and the foll y to attempt to force Nature i nto
rigid mathemati cal l ines are deplorable Nature abhors
the rigid Consider two apples ea c h may be regarded
as an un it and we may say : O n e apple equals another
apple This is mathemati call y correct but it is not true
as no one has ever seen two apples exac tl y alike o r two
natural obje c ts alike Nature abhors the rigid
Ph y si c ists have endeavoured to redu c e all natural
phenomena on the earth to c elestial phy sics basing all
upon Newton s grand law of gravitation But while
the problem of the three bodies is unsolved mathe
m atic ian s can not even inte rpret celestial phy si cs by
In A stronom y we replace a planet by
numbers alone
a so c alled material particle
a mathemati cal poi n t
associated with a suitable n u meri ca l co ei cien t A ll the
properties of the body are here ignored ex c ept those of
m
position and mass
L
amb
The
technical
t
r
e
)
(
mass ( whi c h is mathematical ) is dened b y a late
distinguished ph y si c ist and mathemati c ian as hugger
,
'
O N F A L S E E DUC AT I O N
m u g ger ,
II
f
o
r
W
auss
A
rithmetic
have
of
c
ourse
i
n
e
G
(
)
abstra c t science a right to b egin with an y den ition we
Ch oose
but
our
denitions
must
be
consistent
and
;
follow logi ca ll y from the fundamental pri n c iples of
a rith metic other w ise we ru n the risk Of sooner or later
c o m m itti ng m istakes and encounteri ng paradoxes
z
w
M
er
these
fundamental
principles
algebra
N
o
(
)
not onl y ignores but abrogates This is the grand error
O n e of the most remarkable o f experiments negatory
to the mathemati cal order of thought is to show that
weight or mass is n o t a constant u p on this earth This
can be easil y proved Put an equal weight into each
pan of a balan c e and acc uratel y cou nterpoise them ;
then select one weight and submit it to d ry heat A s it
becomes hot it becomes lighter and this di eren ce can
be measured A s it be c omes c old o r approa c hes the
tem p eratu re o f the weight whi c h it counterpoised it
becomes heavier W here does the mathematical term
mass c ome i n with this fa c t before us ? A gai n put a
small quantity o f water i nto a shallow dish and c ounter
'
Hi story of
T hought i n
E u rop ea n
Cen tu ry,
D evelop m ent of
the N i n eteen th
1 90 3.
s c a
or
s s
ss
r s
er
so
e c
: 1
as a
o
s.
ss.
O N FA LS E ED U
12
CAT I O N
a tel y
oise
the
water
i
n
the
balan
c
e
The
water
immedi
p
FA L S E
ON
DUCA TIO N
I3
w hen
u want to make o r repeat thi ngs
say tongs or
o
y
pokers Then measu rements are Of value
W hy
replied the physicist
when I have Obtained these
values I can multi p ly them into each other and produ c e
uttle
as
ns
s ss
e s
sa
re
s,
s s
ss
ss s
re s
see
FAL S E
ON
I4
DUCAT IO N
It w as a n
wrote u nder the name of A L ayman
acc ident that revealed his name as the author ; the
quotation was never meant to see the l ight of day with
M axwell s name attac hed thereto Still what a c on
fessio n it is of the ph ysicist s ig noran c e
W e will make the issue still clearer Ph y si cal fu nda
mental u n its are all expressed i n terms Of un its of
length : one c entimetre or one i n c h ; u nits Of mass :
one gramme or one grai n : and un its O f time : one
se c ond or one m i nute These are all articial units
Nature does n ot rec ogn ise them W e c an multiply eac h
i ndependent u n it Thus o n e gram me added to position
ten times produ c e ten grammes to the position and so
on ; or we can i n the same way inversely divide
subtract) the sum This is common sense mathematics
In this way Huxle y S howed the value Of this order of
thought when he said
Mat h e m a ti c s m ay b e co m pa re d to a m i ll o f e xq ui si te w o rk
m a n ship w h i c h g ri n d s y o u st u ff o f a n y d e g ree f n e n ess ;
bu t evert h e l ess w h a t yo u get o u t d e p e n d s o n w h a t yo u pu t in ;
a n d a s t h e g ra n d e st m ill i
th e w o rld wi ll n ot e xtrac t wheat
o u r fro m p eas c o d s s o p ag es o f form ul ae wi ll n ot g et a d e n i te
res ul t ou t of l o o se da ta an d o n a n o t h er occasi o n h e said that
m a t h e m at i c s i s t h a t st ud y w hi c h k n o ws n ot h i n g of o b serva
t i o n n o t hi n g O f i n duc t io n n o t hi n g of ex p er i m e n t n o t hi n g of
ca u s at io n
T h e form er s ta tem e n t w as e n do rsed by Lord
z
! e lv i n
er
op
M
(
ON
16
FAL S E
DU CA TIO N
ON
FAL S E
DUCAT IO N
P
P
P
c o ef c ien t o f e x p a n io
W e wi ll giv e tw o illu strati o n s of t hi s
expa s i o n fro m tw o we ll k n o w n te x t b oo ks
-
s.
sa
me
en se
as
the
FA L S E
ON
18
F ig
ro m
ro m
Ca rn ett
is f
DUCAT IO N
E lemen ta ry T reatise
Heat ;
on
N a tu ral P hilosophy , P a rt l I He a t
F ig
r st
t hi n g w hich i m m e d i a tel y stri kes t h e read er is t h a t t h ere a re h e re
x
n
gu red tw o e p ressi o s of o n e fact q u ite d i ffere n t bo t h c a n n o t b e
ri gh t
l n t h e rst case t h e id ea i s t h a t w h e n a body o f a ce rt a i n
a c ert a i n
te m pera t u re
volu m e e x pa n d s N a t u re pi ck s u p
m
f
m
o
a
a
a
s
f
volu es
tter s l b s
i t were o t h e s a m e m a tter t h r e e
p ie c es a n d pl aces t h e m o n t h ree s id e s o f a c ube T h e n i n o rd er t o
m ake t h e i n c rea se d volu m e a l a rg er c ub e t h e m at h e m a t ic i a n
s uppo ses t h at N at u re pu ts i n t o t h e vaca n t edges t h ree l o n g
recta n gul a r p ieces t o ll up t ho se s pac es ; a n d t h e n h e s uppo s e s
f
esc ha n el s
T he
F IG
F IG
dd s n a ll y a s mall cub e t o t h e co r n er T hi s i s a pu re
g eo m etr ic al co n c e p t bu t w h a t a m o n stro sity t h e i d e a is W e w il l
d es c ri be t h e p ro ces s in t h e word s o f t h e ph ys ic ist
M o st s ub sta n ces e x ce p t c ry st a l s e x pan d e q u ally in al l
di re c t io n s w h e n h ea te d I m ag in e a c ubic bl o c k t h e l e n gt h of
w ho se e dg e i s 1 foo t ; its v o lu m e w ill t h e n be 1 c ub i c fo o t Now
s uppo se t h at o n rai s i n g i ts te m perat u re 1 C t h e l e n g t h o f i ts edge
be co m es I
a feet s o a i s its c o ei c ien t of l i n e a r e x pa n sio n
t hat
N a t u re
an
s n
n.
ON
FAL S E
DUCAT I O N
19
a n d the i nc rem e n t
volu m e i s 1 + 3 a + 3 a +
c ubi c fee t
3
o f i t s volu m e is 3 d + a + a cub i c feet
f
r
ti
o
t
hi
s
t
o
T
h
e
a
o
h
t
e
3
3
o r ig i n a l
volu m e v iz
cub i c foo t is 3 a + 3 a + a
w h i ch
on e
e x p re s s io n i s t h ere fore t h e c o-ef c ien t of c ub i c e x pa n si o n
N ow
a
i s i n g e n eral v e ry sm all ; h e n c e a a n d ( it fortiori ) a3 m ay b e
n e g l e c te d i n c o m p a r i so n w i t h a
W e h av e t h e n for t h e co e f c i e n t
-e ic ien t
o f c u b i c e x pa n sio n
u
o
r
t
h
c
o
c
b
i
c
e
x
a
n
s
h
a
e
i
o
n
i
s
t
r
e
e
f
o
p
!
3
ti m es the co e! icien t of l i n ea r exp an sion fo r t h e s a m e sub sta n c e
3
n
T he e ffe c t o f n e gl e c t i n g the term s i n v o lv i g a a n d a m ay b e
i ll u str a te d b y t a k i n g a cub e o f 1 0 c e n t i m etre s s id e t h ree pl ates
e a c h 1 0 c e n t i m etres s q u a re a n d 1 c e n ti m etre t hic k t h ree str ip s e ach
1 0 c e n t i m etres lo n g a n d I c e n t i m etre s q u a re
a n d a cub i c c en t i
m e tre
P l a c e d t og et h er t h e se wi ll bu i ld u p a c ub e o f 1 1 ce n t i
m etres e dg e
If we n egl e c t t h e t h ree stri p s a n d t h e c ub i c
F
ig
c e n ti m etre o u r e n l a rg e d cube i s i n co m pl ete a t t h e e dg es
(
3
n
i
n
n
n
n
a
a
a
a
t
h
i
is
e
u
i
v
l
e
t
to
e
gl
e
c
ti
g
d
t
h
e
b
o
v
e
n
s
a d
a
3
q
ex p re ssi o n
Or we m ay e m pl oy t h e follo w i n g i llu stra tio n I Ta ke a cub e of
w ood o r o t h er m a teri a l o f o n e foo t e dge a n d l et t h i s re p rese n t t h e
u n i t o f volu m e
T h e n a pi ec e of paste b oa rd
S uppo se a t o b e 0 1
o f o n e fo ot s q u a re a n d 0 1 ft t h i c k w ill c o n t a in a u n its o f v o lu m e
w hil e i ts t hic kn e ss w ill be a u n it s o f l e n g t h Take t h ree s uch pl a tes
t h e sum of w h ose volu m e s is 3 a an d appl y t h em t o t h e t h ree fac e s
o f t h e cub e w hi c h m eet i n a po i n t
N ow
take th ree re c ta n gular
stri ps of paste b oa rd a fo o t l o n g an d 0 1 ft S q ua re T h e volu m e of
3
a
e ch of t h ese i s a an d t h e volu m e of t h e t h ree t oget h er is 3 a If
t h ese stri p s be l aid in t h e g roo ves form ed by t h e edges o f t h e
pl ates th ere wi ll o n l y be re q ui re d a cub e o f 0 1 ft s id e a n d
vo lum e a3 in ord er t o co m pl ete a cube o f
or 1
a feet
edge
T h e w hol e i n c re m e n t i n v o lu m e o f t h e o n e foot cube
i ts
T hen
a3
ss
-s
s,
su
ress
on r
e o
s.
re
e vo u
s su
s su
s,
s.
O N F AL S E E D U
20
CAT I O N
n
i
s
m
t h e d i fc ul ty a d t h i s very i portan t t o ob serve the n o ti o n o f
t h e m at h e m at i c ian is t o try t o fo rc e n at u ra l ph e n om e n a t o fol lo w
the
sa
me formu la
as
a rn ett
v es to
i
g
ex
He
a
i
n
i
s
d
i
a
m
r
a
l
h
p
g
E l em en ta ry T rea tise on
1 889 ,
3
66
Hea t, by W illi a m G
rnett M A
,
e h nel
77
( sth
editi n )
o
t II
di ed b
verett M
et
Hea t
I I th
by A P
edi tion ) 889
.
FAL S E
ON
DUCAT I O N
2 1
s,
s v
s s
ss s,
20
'
ON
22
FA LS E
E DUCAT I O N
ON
FAL S E
DUCAT I O N
An
so
an
Na
ture made on a
ma ll
scale,
FAL S E
ON
DUCAT IO N
a to ms
w h ich
form a sphere the water molecule
T h ese c hemists atoms a n d molecules are not rigid but
i n c rease and de c rease i n volume just l ike a soap
b ubble by the absorption of a still vastl y ner atom
w h ich
acts against gravity or an tigrav itates Here
a gai n we u n derstand the parable of the ph y sicist at the
sea shore for the mathematical ph y sicist wants to abro
gate the teachi ng of Nature and to ma ke the Chem ist s
atom or mole c ule an object of constant volume
and form It is very wonderful a n d bea u tiful to see the
m otio n s of the atoms or molec u les ( either term will suit)
of the gases of the elements brom ine c hlori ne and
iodi ne These obje c ts havi ng co lou r c an be examined
i n air and can be seen They becom e lighter and rise
and then denser and they fall the two reac tions form i ng
most i nteresti ng irreg u lar swirls a motion whi c h is
enti rely beyond mathematical concepts A lso it is
equally wonderfu l and i nteresti ng to see the molecules
of water or other liquids i n the vaporous or gaseous
co n ditio n giving a like order of m otio n s
This is what
c an be seen if ph y si c ists will only take the trouble to
look B ut l ike the opponents of tr u th i n old time as
when G alileo req u ested the then orthodox to look at the
real thi ngs in the heavens so the bel ievers i n meta
en e
10
a re
re
ew
s o
26
ON
FAL S E
DUCAT IO N
of
molecules
be c omes solid often but not always the
spheres built up of sub-atoms become angular and
then we have the c ry sta l
M ore than this the real factor which ca uses the
di ffere n tiation of structu re is a vastly smaller or ner
atom than the sub atom which we may call an electron
or a corpusc le or the better term we thi nk an atom of
E ther
D o not let us worry about ter m s ; let u s get
the c oncepts lyi ng behi nd the ter m s W e have too
many terms already Now i n mass this E ther if
properly il luminated can be seen as distinctly as water
can be seen com ing out of a water ta p It can be seen
exudi ng out of and rising from a heated weight an d it
can be seen exuding out of and rising from a lead
c ar ry ing the electric c u rrent ; also it can be seen c oming
out of the hu m an body A nd this uid when it attacks
a ther m opile or a thermo co u p le or even a simp le wire
if properly prepared beco m es the electric cu rrent and it
tu rns the needle of the G alvanometer This fact and
other facts the writer ex p eri m entally showed and pub
The nu m erous fundamental
l ished over ten years ago
experiments nearly all tell one grand fundamental tale
and this is the result of appeali ng direct to Natu re i n
the proper spirit and not attem pti ng to boss Natu re
by metaph y sical concepts A nd the tale is : W e l ive i n
,
Wha t
Ha ll )
S ee
an d
is
Hea t
an d
Wha t
is E l ectr i ci ty ?
L
(
ondon
h ap ma
0N
FALS E
E DUCAT IO N
27
a
ve
ade
a
dis
c
over
y
me
n
tal
r
volutio
n
w hi c h
m
ha
e
an
ON
FAL S E
DUCAT IO N
O N F AL S E E D U
CAT I O N
29
l
the pupi but the co worker with the pupil S imply
s,
s o
s,
s, a n
du ca tion
Co m m i ssion
to the
ss
s, s
or
as
ss
re
ss
ss o
s ou
s,
re
n c
ss
s o
ss
ss
n s
o r,
s,
s s
s s,
n.
s,
ss
er
re
s s
us
as
s.
ns
ss
an
n s
is
r, so
ss
Si s
s s
s s
an
ous
'
s,
s.
e ss
"
ns
es
n s
ss s
an
as
s o
s ow n
or
ns
rs
n s
s,
ns
re
re
s n
n.
WHAT
AND
IS ELECTRICIT!
F R E D E R I C ! HO V E N D E N
F ello w of the P h ys i ca l S oc i ety o f L o n do n
Bv
Worried Without
P lai n ly
escri bed.
s o
s.
s s
r.
ov
en
us
re o
zz
re o
s.
re
re
s,
en
r or
e cr
s.
ve
sec
re
'
s o
re
s r
s s
ss o n
en
s.
ov
en
en
ssi
ass
n u ed on th i rd
a
n
i
e
o
t
o
C
g
[
p
f
cov er.