Letters of Euler on different subjects in natural philosophy. Addressed to a German princess. With notes, and a life of Euler
Leonhard Euler
Paperback
(University of Michigan Library, Jan. 1, 1833)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. Excerpt: ... in order to grant an uninterrupted transmission to the magnetic matter. Iron and steel, Ihen, apparently contain such particles in great abundance; these are not, however, originally disposed in the manner I have been describing, but are scattered over the whole mass, and this disposition is all they want to become real magnets. In that case, they still retain all their other qualities, and are not distinguishable from other masses of iron and steel, except that now they have besides the properties of the loadstone; a knife and a needle answer the same purposes, whether thejr have or want the magnetic virtue. The change which lakes place in the interior, from the arrangement of the particles in the order which magnetism requires, is not externally perceptible; and the iron or steel which has acquired the magnetic force is denominated an artificial magnet, to distinguish it from the natural, which resembles a stone, though the magnetic properties are the same in both. Yon will have a curiosity, no doubt, to be informed in what manner iron and steel may be brought to receive the magnetic force, and so become artificial magnets. Nothing can be more simple; and the vicinity of a loadstone is capable of rendering iron somewhat magnetic: it is the magnetic vortex which produces this effect, even though the iron and loadstone should not come into contact. However hard iron may appear, the particles which contain the magnetic pores formerly represented are very pliant in substance, and the smallest force is sufficient to change their situation. The magnetic matter of the vortex, entering into the iron, will then easily dispose the first magnetic pores which it meets following its own directions--those at least whose situation is not very...