M E A
131
M E A
r est,v c ^ a Ptate of metal or other substance, must be an inte-in Sert ° “U'jject to scientific readers. We shall therefore here8t) *'ject 6 resu ^ °f Mr. Bevan’s experiments made on thatt° a ' -A- good cylindrical steel punch was made and fitted
Cal if, 1 . or director, so as to move correctly to a cylindri-•ttstri 6 ln a atee l plate connected with the guide ; with thisVe P y the artist was able to force cylinders of metal
siojpl^ 111 * 0 ™! and with little or no bur to the hole, both bytQe nts ^ ressure an d percussion. The results of some experi-thr 0u ® a de on the force of simple pressure, to make a hole»n<j ° a metal plate of one-eighth of an inch in thickness,ifoj, ^'fourth of an inch in diameter, are as follows :—Plate3,qq’q ]’^00 lbs.; cast brass, 3,200 lbs.; hammered brass,
. S- » copper, 2,800 lbs. The following are the resultstiori 0 f 6 same machine, on specimens of wood, in the direc-Ch «8ti« the graiD > ° f the same thickness and diameter :—3 q 0 ll.' ana deal, 135 lbs.; mahogany, 170 lbs.; dry boxwood,122 lbg’’ beecb > 204 lbs.; ash, 197 lbs.; oak, 156 lbs.; elm,
^sidere^* ° P A ^ INE ’ an y r 'ght line taken at pleasure, and
ll;
llSf 3 . Line °/> see Line -
ttlec hatr UE . 0F THE Mass, or Quantity of Matter, in^attgj. * s its weight; it being apparent, that all the; anij - Uc i c °heres and moves with a body, gravitates with* t0l Hoo- e lt; be ' n g found by experiment that the gravities ofea bodies are in proportion to their bulks : hence,th e 6 mass continues the same, the absolute weight willNight S - aiUe > whatever be its figure ; but as to its specific'* lfc varies as the quantity of surface varies. See
j. ^t-ASTTn
Q ' v *des RE 0F A Number, in arithmetic, a number which^,,1 a rw, without leaving any fraction; thus 9 is a
toj^ 0f 2r. °
^ ar d, 0r of a Solid, a cube whose side is one inch, foot,a ^lon» 6r determined length.
e a6j c ° § e °metricians it is sometimes a rod, or perch, called>’d J ic tf^ erc ^ 1 • divided into cubic feet, digits, &c. Hence. asures > or measures of capacity. See Cube andtoj^iiON.
> by SRR ® 0F Velocity, in mechanics, the space passed6 °°'tv. n niov ‘ n g body in any given time.
unity.
To measure a
'I'tai
answer > n g t0 such an interval of time is
ty .i uuuy m any given tmie. au mcusuic u
Part ere ^ ore > tbe space must be divided into as manyitv „£• as tbe time is conceived to be divided into. The8 Pace answeringe °f the velocity.
‘Y? Tt . - *
ti .^abl \ Universal and Perpetual , a kind of measure'° as and ^ t * me ’ *° which the measures of differentabl^h'Par j ages might be reduced, and by which they mighthrb' it c , and est 'mated. Such a measure is very desir-iii°^° s es, fo ° Uld . be atta 'ned. Huygens , in his Horol. Oscill.,of® | b is purpose, the length of a pendulum vibrat-
cy? Sc 'll a ti ’ tab en from the point of suspension to the pointik -d th e k ' ^'^ le tb ’ r d P ai 't of such a pendulum may be
Jif aSl *re of °W«* an d serve as a standard to which theofi >0rt ion I. other feet may be preferred. Thus, e. g. theto go, tbe Paris foot to the horary foot would be thatto*,. Nb, because the length of three Paris feet is 864lf>» ^ ^ length of
«8.
thr " "“ c mngtn ot a pendulum vibrating secondsSlip'' 1 Bn t P .?. borai 'y feet, or 3 feet 8 A lines, i.e. 881 halfVv bi^ 8e . s > that * measure > order to its being universal,
Nv: a 18‘a
*s Co ' action of gravity is everywhere the same,. e crily fo ntrai 'y to fact; and, therefore, it would really'Av- r to P' aces under the same parallel of latitude; andcontj 3 ae ' n " perpetual, it supposes that the action ofRe3 a *ways the same in the same place.
> m a legah commercial, and popular sense,
denotes a certain quantity or proportion of anything bought,sold, valued, or the like. It denotes also a vessel of capacityemployed in measuring grain and other articles: the fourthpart of a peck. The regulation of weights and measuresought certainly to be the same throughout the kingdom, andtherefore be reducible to some fixed rule or standard ; theprerogative of so fixing it was vested, by our ancient law, inthe crown. This standard was originally kept at Winches-ter ; and we find, in the laws of king Edgar, cap. 8, near acentury before the Conquest, an injunction, that the onemeasure, which was kept at Winchester, should be observedthroughout the realm. With respect to measures of length,our ancient historians (Wil. Malm, in Vita. Hen . I. Spelm.Hen . I. apud Wilkins, 299) inform us, that a new standard oflongitudinal measure was ascertained by king Henry I. , whocommanded that the ulna, or ancient ell, which answers tothe modern yard, should be made of the exact length of hisown arm ; and one standard of measures of length oncegained, all others are easily derived from hence : those ofgreater length by multiplying ; those of less by subdividingthe original standard. Thus, by the statute called “ Compo-sitio ulnarum etperticamm," 5 A yards make a perch; andthe yard is subdivided into 3 feet, and each foot into 12inches, which inches will be each of the length of 3 grains ofbarley. The standard of weights was originally taken fromcorns of wheat, whence the lowest denomination of weightswhich we have still expressed by a “ grain,” 32 of which aredirected by the statute called “ Compositio mensurarum ,” tocompose a pennyweight, of which 20 make an ounce, 12ounces a pound, and so upwards. Upon these principles thestandards were first made, which, being originally so fixedby the crown, their subsequent regulations have been gene-rally made by the king in parliament. Thus, under kingRichard I. , in his parliament holden at Westminster, a.d.1197, it was ordained that there should be only one weightand one measure throughout the kingdom, and that thecustody of the assize, or standard of weights and measures,should be committed to certain persons in every city andborough. In king John ’s time, this ordinance of kingRichard was frequently dispensed with for money (Hoved.a.d. 1201), which occasioned a provision to be made forenforcing it, in the great charters of king John and his son.— Stat. 9, Hen . III. c. 25.
The statute of Magna Charta, cap . 25, ordains that thereshall be but one measure throughout England, according tothe standard in the Exchequer, which standard was formerlykept in the king’s palace; and in all cities, market-towns,and villages, it was kept in the churches. (4 Inst. 273). By16 Car. I. cap. 19, there is to be one weight and measure, andone yard, according to the king’s standard; and whoevershall keep any other weight or measure, whereby anythingis bought or sold, shall forfeit for every offence five shillings;and by 22 Car. II. cap. 8, water measure (viz., five pecks tothe bushel), as to corn, or grain, or salt, is declared to bewithin the statute 16 Car. I. ; and if any sell grain, or salt,&c., by any other bushel or measure than what is agreeableto the standard in the Exchequer, commonly called Winches-ter measure, he shall forfeit 40s. (22 Car. II. c. 8. 22 and
23 Car. II. c. 12). Notwithstanding these statutes, in manyplaces and counties there were, till within the last few years,many different measures of corn and grain, and also of lengthand solidity. Great inconvenience being felt in consequence,the government at length interfered, and introduced a billinto parliament for the establishment of a uniform systemthroughout the country.
This system, called the Imperial, came into operation onthe 1st May, 1825, on which day a total alteration took place
1 .