384 



Lord Kjlvin 



[April 27, 



motion parallel to K K', above that of component motion perpendicular 

 to K K'. Deducing a determination of two axes at right augles to 

 each other, corresponding respectively to maximum and minimum 

 kinetic energies, we find L L', being inclined to K K' in the direction 



1 28 • 8 

 shown, at an angle = \ tan- 1 - , is what we may call the axis of 



jiUi * y 

 maximum energy, and a line perpendicular to L L' the axis of mini- 

 mum energy ; and the excess of the time-integral of the energy of 

 component velocity parallel to L L' ex ceeds that of the c omponent 

 perpendicular to LL' by 239-4 being ^128 *8 2 + 201 -9 2 . This is 



Fig. 6. 



7 • 25 per cent, of the total of 2 I which is the time-integral of the total 

 enerpy. Thus, in our result, we find a very notable deviation from 

 the Boltzmann-Maxwell doctrine, which asserts for the present case 

 that the time-integrals of the component kinetic energies are the same 

 for all directions of the component. The percentage which we have 

 found is not very large ; and, most probably, summations for several 

 successive 600 flights would present considerable differences, both of 

 the amount of the deviation from equality and the direction of the 

 axes of maximum and minimum energy. Still, I think there is a strong 

 probability that the disproof of the Boltzmann-Maxwell doctrine 



