DYNAMIC THOUGHT/PART 9
CHAPTER IX
RADIANT ENERGY
THE
"kinds" of Energy are very few, although the methods of using,
applying and manifesting same are innumerable. Let us begin with one of the
best known forms of Energy, namely, Heat.
Heat was
formerly regarded as a very fine fluid or substance, called
"caloric," which was supposed to enter into Substance and then
manifest the phenomenon of "heat." This idea has long since been
relegated to the scrap pile of Science. The present theory, which is supported
by a mass of evidence obtained through investigation and experimentation, is
that Heat is a form of Energy, arising from the vibratory motions of the
Particles of Substance—a "Mode of Motion." The degrees of Heat are
termed "Temperature." Temperature depends upon the rate of the
heat-vibrations of the Particles of Substance, either arising from the Original
Motion of the Particles, or else from vibrations or Motion aroused in them
by transmission from Particles of other bodies of Substance—these
vibrations being "contagious." Temperature then means "the
measure of the vibrations of the Particles."
All
bodies of Substance have some degree of Temperature—some
degree of heat-vibration of its Particles. Science has a pleasant
"scientific friction" of an Absolute Zero at the degree of 491 below
Zero, Fahrenheit, but this is merely an imaginary something with which the
grown up children of Science amuse themselves.
When
two bodies are brought near each other—the "nearness" being
comparative, and, in some cases, meaning a distance of millions of miles—Heat
is transmitted from the warmer to the cooler body, until the temperatures are
equalized—that is until the two bodies vibrate in unison.
In
Physics we are taught that the "Transmission" of Heat may be
accomplished in three ways, although the writer is of the opinion that the
three ways are but three forms of one way. The first form is called "Conduction,"
whereby the vibration, or Heat, is conveyed along a body of Substance, from its
warmer to its cooler parts—for instance, an iron poker with one end in the
fire. The second form is called "Convection," whereby the visible
motion of heated Substance, moving along the air—for instance, hot-air,
hot-water, steam, etc., either by means of pipes, or by allowing them to pass
freely through the air. The third form is called "Radiation," whereby
the vibrations are believed to be transformed into "waves of the
Ether," which will be spoken of later, in addition to what has been said
on the subject in our chapter entitled "The Paradox of Science."
The
writer thinks that a little consideration will show us that the same rule
operates in all of the above cases, and that "Conduction" and
"Convection" are but forms of Radiation. For instance, in Conduction
there must be a few Particles first set into vibration, the same gradually
passing on to the others farther, and farther away. Passing how?
"By contact," replies Physics. But, the Particles are never in
absolute contact—there always is "plenty of space" between them. And
so there must be some kind of "waves" passing through the space
between them, which space is not filled with "air," or other form of
Substance, but only with "the Ether," or something that takes
its place. So that, after all, Conduction is but a form of Radiation. And
the same rule will apply in the case of Convection.
Heat
arises from several causes, all of which, however, manifest through the vibration
of the Particles of the body evidencing the Heat. These causes may be
stated as (1) Original Motion of the Particles of a body of Substance, arising
from some workings of the Law of Attraction, and including Motion arising from
Chemical Action, Combustion, etc. (2) From transmission or
"contagion" from some other body of Substance, the Particles of which
are vibrating at the rate of Heat. (3) From interrupted Motion, including
friction both of the moving body with the air or other Substance, and the
friction of a current of Electricity passing through the body. In each of the
above cases, the actual and immediate cause of the Heat is the
vibration of the Particles of the Substance manifesting the Heat, although the
transmitted vibratory waves, or the interrupted motion, friction, current,
etc., may have been the instigator or provoker of such vibration. The
interrupted motion, friction, or "wave" does not produce the Heat,
but merely arouses or provokes the increased vibration of the Particles, that really
manifest the Heat. At the last, remember, the Heat is in the Particles of the
body that "feels" or experiences it.
The
vibrations of Heat seem to have the properties of causing the Molecules to draw
further apart, and to manifest less Attraction, or more Repulsion, whichever
way one cares to express it. This "moving away" of the Molecules
tend to cause the body to increase in volume or size, and occasions what
is known as "Expansion" in Substance. In this way Heat transforms
Solids into Liquids; Liquids into Gases or Vapors, the change being wholly a
matter of the relative distances of the Molecules.
Magnetism is
another form of Energy, and is generally believed to be a part of the phenomena
of Electricity, if indeed, not a form of Electricity itself. Science knows very
little about the nature of Magnetism, but in a general way holds to the theory
that it results from the vibration or motion of the Particles of Substance, as
do all other forms of Energy. The magnetic qualities of a body may be increased
or decreased by motion affecting the relation of the Molecules, which fact has
been regarded as having some bearing on the theory.
Electricity is
a form of Energy, that Science regards as also arising from the vibration or
motion of the Particles of Substance. It is transmitted, like Heat, by
Conduction and Radiation, the "waves" tending to provoke similar
vibrations in the Particles of Substances receiving them. By many careful
investigators, Electricity is believed to be very closely related to the
phenomenon called light, both having much in common. Science seems to be
discovering new points of resemblance between them, and it is probable
that in the near future they will be seen to be but varying forms of the same
thing. The purposes of this book do not call for an extended consideration of
the properties of Electricity, the same being served by a consideration of its
nature being akin to that of the other forms of Energy, namely, "vibration
or motion in or among the Particles of Matter."
Light is
a form of Energy, the study of which is of the greatest interest to Science,
for the reason that the field seems to be widening out continuously, and
reaching out into the territory formerly thought to be the special region of
Electricity. And, in another direction, it seems to be reaching out into the
territory of Heat, the latter being considered by many to be but a form of
Light, in its lower vibrations. In fact, the writer of this book so considers
the subject, and for the purposes of this book, in later chapters, he will
combine Electricity, Heat, and Light, including, also, the phenomena known as
the X-Rays, Becquerel Rays, Radium waves, etc., as forms of Light—the combined
forms of Energy to be called "Radiant Energy." In this
combination, he believes that he is in line with the latest and best thought of
Modern Science. However, he does not insist upon his readers following this
idea, and so, if they prefer, they may think of each of these forms as
separate and distinct, and yet not run contrary to the line of thought of the
book.
Light
is not the simple thing that it is considered to be by the general public. It
is composed of many parts, qualities and manifestations. Its rays, when
separated by the Spectrum, are seen to consist of "waves" or
vibrations of differing degrees of rate and intensity. The lower range contains
the heat rays, and it is interesting to know that there are rays of heat too
far down in the scale to be evidenced by human senses that may be distinguished
by delicate instruments. But there are rays still further down in the scale
that are known to exist, theoretically, that cannot be registered even by the
finest instruments. To gain an idea of the delicacy of these instruments, let
us remember that Prof. Langley has an instrument called the
"Bolometer," that is so delicate that it registers a change of
temperature of one millionth of a degree, and will register the heat of a
candle one and one-half miles distant from it. Light vibrations arise from
combustion, friction, electricity etc., causing the Particles to assume
increased Motion.
Let
us consider the report of the Spectrum. Beginning with waves or vibrations far
below the sensibility of Man, the scale shows an advance until the first
"warm" vibration of iron was reached. This first indication of
warmth comes when the vibrations reach the rate of 35,000,000,000,000 per
second. Then gradually they increase until a dull red glow is noticed—the
lowest visible light ray—when the vibrations are
450,000,000,000,000 per second. Then come the orange rays, then the golden
yellow, then the pure yellow, then the greenish yellow, then the pure green,
then the greenish blue, then the ocean blue, then the cyanic blue, then the
indigo, then the violet—the latter evidencing when the vibrations reach the
rate of 750,000,000,000,000 per second. Then come the Ultra-violet
rays—invisible to human sight—but evidenced by chemical media. In this
Ultra-violet region lies the X-Rays, etc., and also the "Actinic
Rays," that produce photographs, sunburn one's face and blister the
nose—that cause violent explosions in chemicals—that transform forms of
Substance—that are employed to cure skin diseases, etc. These Actinic or
Chemical Rays have an important role to play in plant-life, for they act upon
the green leaves of the plant, causing a chemical change by which carbonic acid
and water are transformed into sugar and starches.
Some
of the rays of the Ultra-violet region of Light penetrate substances formerly
considered solid and impenetrable. And some of them emitted from Radium,
etc., would destroy organic life if applied in sufficient quantities. Some of
them are practically waves of Electricity so that Light and Electricity are
seen to be closely related.
To
give one an idea of the differences produced by different rates of vibration,
let us imagine a Mass of Iron, shaped like a great "Top," capable of
being impelled to "spin" at a constantly increasing rate of speed, by
some Mighty Will. At first it is seen as a slowly spinning Top, manifesting nothing
but slow motion, to our senses.
Now,
imagine our Top spinning at a rate doubling each second. The first second the
Top spins at the rate of two revolutions per second. We notice no change,
except that we can see the movement. The next second the revolutions are
doubled to four per second. Then, doubling each second, we have, respectively,
revolutions of eight per second, then sixteen, and then in the fifth second
thirty-two per second. Then we begin to notice a change.
When
the revolutions reach thirty-two per second the friction of the moving Top on
the air causes it to give forth a very low, deep, bass note of sound. This note
is like a low, deep "hum," and is the lowest possible of perception
by the human hearing, although it is possible that some of the lower forms of
life may be conscious of still lower vibrations.
The
sixth second the revolutions reach sixty-four, and the low note has grown much
higher in the scale. The seventh second records a rate of 128, and the note has
correspondingly increased. Then, as the seconds pass, we have, successively,
256, 512, 1,024, 2,048, 4,096, 8,192, 16,384, 32,768, the latter in the
fifteenth second, and representing the highest note recognizable by the human
ear, although it is believed that some of the lower animals may recognize
sounds too acute for our sense of hearing. During this increase in revolutions
from the fifth second to the fifteenth, the sound-note has risen rapidly in the
scale from the low sullen "hum," on through the notes of the musical
scale, and beyond the range of instruments, until the shrillness becomes so
intense as to be almost unbearable, and finally terminating in a shrill,
piercing shriek like the "squeak" of the bat, only long-drawn out.
Then
from the termination of the sound (by reason of the rate of vibration having
become too high) silence reigns for thirty seconds—absolute silence, in spite
of the rapidly increasing rate of vibrations, in fact, because of it.
When
the forty-fifth second is reached, and the revolutions have reached the rate of
35,184,372,088,832 per second, our Top begins to emit heat-rays, increasing
each second. Then a little later a dull, dim glow may be noticed. Then, as the
seconds fly, the dull glow manifests a deep dark red color, such as one notices
in the iron of the blacksmith's shop, soon after it begins to "glow."
Then, on and on, as the seconds fly, the deep red grows lighter and brighter,
gradually changing into orange, then into yellow, then into green, then into
blue, then into indigo, then into violet, and then into the color of
"white-heat." Then this "white-heat" changes into a still
more dazzling white, and then a white impossible to describe appears, so
bright, clear and brilliant that the eye cannot bear the sight. Then, suddenly,
the intense brightness is succeeded by absolute darkness, and the moving Top
cannot be seen by the eye—and yet it moves on. The highest recorded chemical
rays of light are estimated to equal a rate of vibration of
1,875,000,000,000,000 per second. The vibration of the lowest shade of red
light is estimated at 450,000,000,000,000, and the highest of violet at
750,000,000,000,000 per second, so we may imagine what the highest line on the
spectrum is like.
Still
vibrating, our Top, which has become now a Mass of Vaporized Iron, rapidly
tending toward still more ethereal forms. It has passed out from the
region of light-waves, into another "Unknown Region" of Vibrations,
in which region, however, exist the vibrations known to us as the
"X-Rays," etc. It is throwing off great quantities of Electrons. If
we were to use a fluorescent screen we would be able to observe the phenomena
of the Roentgen Rays, and similar manifestations of Radiant Energy.
On
and on vibrates the Top of what we once called Iron—cold iron, warm iron, hot
iron, melted iron, gaseous iron, etherealized iron, if you like. What it is
like now, the imagination of Man cannot conceive. Still the revolutions
continue, doubling each second. What is being produced? The
imagination cannot conceive of what this state of Substance, now being reached,
is like. By a scientific form of poetry we might think of it as melting into
Energy—pure Energy, if there were such a thing. Long since it has been resolved
into its original Particles—its Corpuscles, and perhaps into the "stuff"
from which particles are made. But we must let the curtain drop—the wildest
fancy cannot follow the Dance of Substance any further.
The
theory of the transmission of vibrations of Radiant Energy by means of
"waves" in the Ether, or "something that takes the place of the
Ether," has been mentioned in other parts of the book. Referring
again to it, the writer would say that he thinks it probable that the
"waves" coming in contact with the countless Corpuscles in the
Earth's atmosphere, communicate a high rate of motion to them, the result being
that they take on the vibrations immediately, and pass along with the
"wave" current—the result being that much that we consider as waves
of Light, Heat and Electricity are but streams of these Corpuscles in which vibrations
have been awakened by the "waves." This idea will help to explain
some of the phenomena of Light, which seemed more understandable under the old
Light-Corpuscle theory of Newton than under the "wave" theory of
recent years. The idea is advanced merely for the purpose of setting down the
thought, for it plays no important part in the theory of the book.
Another
matter that should not be overlooked in connection with Light and Heat and
Electricity is that Particles absorb or "catch" the vibrations in
different degrees, their receptivity depending upon their particular vibratory
mode, or "custom of their kind." If unable to "absorb" the
vibrations, they "reflect" them. Substance, of any particular kind,
absorb Heat in the degree of its atomic weight.
In
the next chapter we shall learn something of The Law of Attraction, that
wonderful Law that makes possible any Motion or Radiant Energy.
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