A Treatise on Statics

Excerpt from A Treatise on Statics: Containing the Theory of the Equilibrium of Forces, and Numerous Examples Illustrative of the General Principles of the Science If any portion of matter (a stone for instance) be held in the hand, it will be found to exert a pressure; and if the hand he suddenly removed, will fall. In its fall it may be caught, but the hand will again feel a pressure. This experiment informs us, that that which is the cause of motion, is likewise the cause of pressure. While the stone is held at rest, its continual tendency to fall is evi deuced by the pressure which is exerted on the hand; hence, in all cases where motion is prevented, there is pressure. But further, the latter part of the experiment teaches us that, in all cases where motion is retarded, there is pressure. If when the stone is at rest, the hand exert a greater pressure upwards than is necessary to prevent it from falling, the stone will begin to move upwards. Hence we learn that pressure attends the production as well as the prevention and the destruction of motion. Thus it appears that pressure produces the same results as we have taken to be the characteristic effects of force. We may therefore take pressure as the measure of force, because both press ure and motion are effects of the same cause. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.