THE AIR-PUMP.
Monsieur Roger had deferred his explanations for three days. He was
awaiting the air-pump which Monsieur Dalize, at Miette's desire, had
decided to purchase in Paris. Monsieur Roger judged that this
interruption and this rest were necessary. In this way his hearers would
not be tired too soon, and their curiosity, remaining unsatisfied for
the moment, would become more eager. He was not mistaken; and when a
large box containing the air-pump and other objects ordered by Monsieur
Roger arrived, a series of cries of astonishment came from the pretty
mouth of Miss Miette. Paul Solange, however, remained calm; but
Monsieur Roger knew that his interest had been really awakened. They
spent the afternoon in unpacking the air-pump, and Monsieur Roger was
called upon at once to explain the instrument.
"The machine," he said, "is called an air-pump because it is intended to
exhaust air contained in a vase or other receptacle. To exhaust the air
in a vase is to make a vacuum in that vase. You will see that this
machine is composed of two cylinders, or pump-barrels, out of which
there comes a tube, which opens in the centre of this disk of glass.
Upon this disk we carefully place this globe of glass; and now we are
going to exhaust the air contained in the globe."
"We are going to make a vacuum," said Miette.
"Exactly." And Monsieur Roger commenced to work the lever. "You will
take notice," he said, "that when the lever is lowered at the left the
round piece of leather placed in the cylinder on the left side is
lowered, and that the bit of leather in the right-hand cylinder is
raised. In the same way, when the lever is lowered at the right, it is
the right-hand piece of leather which is lowered, while the piece of
leather at the left is raised in its turn. These round bits of leather,
whose importance is considerable, are called pistons. Each piston is
hollow and opens into the air on top, while at the bottom, which
communicates with that portion of the cylinder situated below the
piston, there is a little hole, which is stopped by a valve. This valve
is composed of a little round bit of metal, bearing on top a vertical
stem, around which is rolled a spring somewhat in the shape of a coil or
ringlet. The ends of this spring rest on one side on a little bit of
metal, on the other on a fixed rest, pierced by a hole in which the stem
of the valve can freely go up and down. When I work the lever, as I am
doing now, you see that on the left side the piston lowers itself in the
cylinder, and that the piston on the right is raised. Now, what is going
on in the interior of each cylinder? The piston of the left, in
lowering, disturbs the air contained in the cylinder,--it forces it
down, it compresses it. Under this compression the coiled spring gives
way, the round bit of metal is raised, and opens the little hole which
puts the under part of the piston in communication with the atmosphere.
The air contained in the cylinder passes in this way across the piston
and disperses itself in the air which surrounds us. But the spring makes
the bit of metal fall back again and closes the communication in the
right-hand cylinder as soon as the piston commences to rise and the
pressure of the air in the cylinder is not greater than the pressure of
the atmosphere outside. Lastly, the tube which unites the cylinders to
the glass globe opens at the end of each cylinder, but a little on the
side. It is closed by a little cork, carried by a metal stem which
traverses the whole piston. When I cause one of the pistons to lower,
the piston brings the stem down with it. The cork at once comes in
contact with the hole, which closes; the stem is then stopped, but the
piston continues to descend by sliding over it. In the other
cylinder, in which the piston is raised, it commences by raising the
stem, which re-establishes communication with the glass globe; but as
soon as the top of the stem comes in contact with the upper part of the
cylinder, it stops and the piston glides over it and continues to rise."
[Illustration]
"In this fashion the movements of the cork are very small, and it opens
and shuts the orifice as soon as one of the pistons begins to descend
and the other begins to ascend. Consequently, by working the lever for a
certain space of time, I will finish by exhausting the globe of all the
air which it contains."
"May I try to exhaust it?" asked Miette, timidly.
"Try your hand, Miss Miette," answered Monsieur Roger.
Miette began to work the lever of the air-pump, which she did at first
very easily, but soon she stopped.
"I cannot do it any more," said she.
"Why?"
"Because it is too heavy."
"In fact, it is too heavy," said Monsieur Roger; "but tell me, what is
it that is too heavy?"
Miette sought an answer.
"Oh, I do not know. It is the lever or the pistons which have become all
of a sudden too heavy."
"Not at all; that is not it. Neither the lever nor the pistons can
change their weight."
"Then, what is it that is so heavy?"
"Come, now! Try once more, with all your strength."
Miette endeavored to lower the right-hand side of the lever: she could
not succeed.
"Why," said she, "it is, of course, the piston on the left which has
become too heavy, as I cannot make it rise again."
"You are right, Miss Miette. It is the piston in the left cylinder which
cannot rise; but it has not changed its weight, as I said,--only it has
now to support a very considerable weight; and it is that weight which
you cannot combat."
"What weight is it?" said Miette, who did not understand.
"The weight of the air."
"The weight of the air? But what air?"
"The air which is above it,--the exterior air; the air which weighs down
this piston, as it weighs us down."
"Does air weigh much?"
"If you are very anxious to know, I will tell you that a wine gallon of
air weighs about seventy-two grains; and as in the atmosphere--that is
to say, in the mass of air which surrounds us--there is a very great
number of gallons, you can imagine that it must represent a respectable
number of pounds. It has been calculated, in fact, that each square inch
of the surface of the soil supports a weight of air of a little more
than sixteen pounds."
"But how is that?" cried Miette. "A while ago there was also a
considerable quantity of air above the piston, and yet I could make it
go up very easily."
"Certainly, there was above the piston the same quantity of air as now,
but there was air also in the globe. Air, like gas, possesses an elastic
force,--that is to say, that it constantly endeavors to distend its
molecules, and presses without ceasing upon the sides of the vase which
contained it, or upon the surrounding air. Now, when you began to work
the lever there was still enough air in the globe to balance, through
its elastic force, the air outside; and, as the piston receives an
almost equal pressure of air from the atmosphere above and from the
globe below, it is easily raised and lowered. But while you were working
the lever you took air out of the globe, so that at last there arrived a
time when so little air remained in this globe that its elastic force
acted with little power upon the piston. So the piston was submitted to
only one pressure,--that of the atmosphere; and, as I have just told
you, the atmosphere weighs heavy enough to withstand your little
strength. Still, all the air in the globe is not yet exhausted, and a
stronger person, like Master Paul, for example, could still be able to
conquer the resistance of the atmosphere and raise the piston."
Paul Solange could not refuse this direct invitation, and he approached
the air-pump and succeeded in working the lever, though with a certain
difficulty.
Meanwhile, Monsieur Roger was seeking among the physical instruments
which had just arrived. He soon found a glass cylinder, whose upper
opening was closed by a bit of bladder stretched taut and carefully tied
upon the edges.
"Stop, Master Paul," said he: "we are going to exchange the globe for
this cylinder, and you will see very readily that the air is heavy. Now
take away the globe."
But, though Paul tried his best, he could not succeed in obeying this
order. The globe remained firm in its place.
"That is still another proof of the weight of the air," said Monsieur
Roger. "The globe is empty of air; and as there is no longer any
pressure upon it except from outside,--the pressure of the
atmosphere,--Master Paul is unable to raise it."
"He would be able to raise the glass," said Miss Miette, in a
questioning tone, "but he cannot lift the air above it?"
"You are exactly right. But you are going to see an experiment which
will prove it. First, however, it will be necessary to take away the
globe. I am going to ask Miss Miette to turn this button, which is
called the key of the air-pump."
Miette turned the key, and then they heard a whistling sound.
"It is the air which is entering the globe," said Monsieur Roger. "Now
Master Paul can take the globe away."
That was true. When Paul took away the globe, Monsieur Roger put in its
place the cylinder closed by the bit of bladder. Then he worked the
handle of the machine again. As the air was withdrawn from the interior
of the cylinder, the membrane was heard to crackle. Suddenly it burst,
with a sort of explosion, to the great surprise of Miette and the
amusement of everybody.
"What is the matter?" said Miette, eagerly.
"The matter is," answered Monsieur Roger, "that the exterior air weighed
so heavily upon the membrane that it split it; and that is what I want
to show you. The moment arrived when the pressure of the atmosphere was
no longer counterbalanced by the elastic force of the air contained in
the cylinder. Then that exhausted all the air, and the atmosphere came
down with all its weight upon the membrane, which, after resisting for a
little while, was torn."
"Is it true, Monsieur Roger," said Miette, "that it is with this machine
that you can make smoke fall?"
"Certainly."
"Well, then, won't you show that to us?"
[Illustration]
[Illustration]