A History of the Mathematical Theories of Attraction and the Figure of the Earth from the Time of Newton to that of Laplace, Volume 1 |
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Common terms and phrases
angles angular velocity approximate assumed attraction axes Boscovich Bouguer Cassini centre centrifugal force Chapter Clairaut Clairaut's Theorem column Condamine considers cos² D'Alembert Daniel Bernoulli degree demonstration denote density diameter distance Earth edition ellipsoid of revolution ellipticity entitled equator equatorial error Essay expression external particle Figure fluid Fluxions Frisi given gives gravity Hence homogeneous Huygens hypothesis integral investigation La Condamine Laplace Laplace's Lapland latitude law of attraction length Maclaurin mass Maupertuis measured Mécanique Céleste memoir occupies pages meridian modern Newton notation noticed oblate oblatum oblongum observations obtained Opuscules Mathématiques Paris Mémoires pendulum Peru plane polar pole Proposition published ratio relative equilibrium remarks result rotation says shell shews Simpson sin² solid solid of revolution sphere spherical spheroid suppose surface Terre theorem theory tion toises volume Απρ
Popular passages
Page 27 - And it may be justly said, that so many and so valuable Philosophical Truths, as are herein discovered and put past dispute, were never yet owing to' the Capacity and Industry of any one Man
Page 190 - And persistent thought brought more and more clearly out the final conclusion, that every particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force varying inversely as the square of the distance between the particles.
Page 42 - Burnet's Theory of the Earth. Together with some remarks on Mr. Whiston's New Theory of the Earth.
Page 53 - Is it well established that such double stars attract each other according to the law of the inverse square of the distance?
Page 459 - An Account of Observations made on the Mountain Schehallien for finding its Attraction.
Page 38 - Yet having made Observation at York, as aforesaid, I measured (for the most part) the Way from thence to London ; and where I measured not, I paced, (wherein through Custom I usually come very near the Truth) observing all the way as I came with a...
Page 448 - Cavendish has since considered this matter more minutely, and having mathematically investigated several rules for finding the attraction of the inequalities of the Earth, has, upon probable suppositions of the distance and height of the Allegany mountains from the degree measured, and the depth and declivity of the Atlantic ocean, computed what alteration might be produced in the length of the degree...
Page 449 - An Attempt to Explain Some of the Principal Phenomena of Electricity by means of an Elastic Fluid.
Page xv - Except the investigations concerning the parallax of the fixed stars, which led to the discovery of aberration and nutation, the history of science presents no problem in which the object obtained — the knowledge of the mean compression of the earth and the certainty that its figure is not a regular one — is so far surpassed in importance by the incidental gain which, in the course of long and arduous pursuit, has accrued in the general cultivation and advancement of mathematical and astronomical...
Page 305 - ... compared with that which is found by actual measurement. So close has, in many instances, been the agreement between results obtained by methods so widely different as almost to exceed belief. A base of verification measured in France, in connection with the triangulation carried on through that kingdom for the determination of the length of a degree of the meridian, differed less than a foot from the value found for the same base, by computation through a chain of triangles, four hundred miles...