284 On the Absorption of Gases 



the whole pressure of any gas admitted to it, 

 till the gas has, in part, forced its way into 

 the water. 



5. A particle of gas pressing on the surface 

 of water is analogous to. a single shot pressing 

 upon the summit of asouare pile; of them. As 

 the shot distributes Its pressure equally amongst 

 all the individuals forming the lowest stratum 

 of the pile, so the particle of gas distributes its 

 pressure equally amongst every successive 

 horizontal stratum of particles of water down- 

 wards till it reaches the sphere of influence of 

 another particle of gas. For instance ; let any 

 gas press with a given force on the surface of 

 water, and let the distance of the particles of 

 gas from each other be to those of water as 

 10 to 1 ; then eaeh particle of gas must divide 

 its force equally amongst 100 particles of 

 water, as follows : — It exerts its immediate 

 force upon 4 particles of water ; those 4 press 

 upon 9, the 9 upon 16, and so on according 

 ta the order of square numbers, till 100 parti- 

 cles of water have the force distributed amongst 

 them ; and in the same stratimi each square of 

 100, having its incumbent particle of gas, the 

 water below this stratum is uniformly pressed 

 by the gas, and consequently has not its 

 equilibrium disturbed by that pressure. 



When water has absorbed -^V of its bulk o£ 



