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.