b^ Water and QtJ^ Liquids. 285 



any gas, the stratum of gas on the surface of 

 the water presses with 4t of its force on the 

 water, in the manner pointed out .in the last 

 article, and with -^V of its force on the upper- 

 most stratum of gas in the water: The distance 

 of the two strata of gas must be nearly 27 

 times the distance of the particles in the in- 

 cumbent atmosphere and 9 times the distance 

 of the particles in the water. This compara- 

 tively great distance of the inner and outer 

 atmosphere arises from the great repulsive 

 power of the latter, on account of its superior 

 density, or its presenting 9 particles of surface 

 to the other 1. When -^-^ is absorbed the 

 distance of the atmospheres becomes 64 times 

 the distance of two particles in the outer, or 16 

 times that of the inner. The annexed views of 

 perpendicular and horizontal strata of gas in 

 and out of water, w^iil sufficiently illustrate 

 these positions. 



7. An equilibrium between the outer and. 

 inner atmospheres can be established in no 

 other circumstance than that of the distance of 

 the particles of one atmosphere being the same 

 or some multiple of that of the other ; and it is 

 probable the multiple cannot be more than*4. 

 For in this case the distance of the inner and; 

 outer atmospheres is such as to make the per- 

 pendicular force of each particle of the former 



