1S06.] 



On the Formation of Cloiids. 



551 



To do this I fliall conluler the perfeft as here reprell;nted, is not to be conlidcr- 



thiid as 30, and tlie diolis as 4, thus mak- 

 ii;g the octiivc (coiiiiluiig of 3 thirds and 

 the dieiis) to be lU, as ia the following 

 table, (jf w hich the iiunibers in the left 

 hand coIuhiu refer to the 4, methods of 

 tuning before alluded to. It nip.y how- 

 ever be risht to preinife, that the diclis, 



ed as bearmg its exu6l proportion to eitherv 

 the perfect third or tiic octave (thoui;li 

 not a great way from it) it beinj; merely 

 to give a general idea of the lyltcini, for 

 which numbers are felci^ted requiring as 

 few f/actions as poifible. 



To the Editor of the Monthli/ Magazine. 



SIR, 



THE new fs-ftcin of chcmiftry has fur- 

 nifhcH means of difcovcring things, 

 which would have remained for ages ob- 

 fcure without it. ^Vmongft the cluei of 

 thofe difcoveries is that of the formation 

 of clouds ; and th.ence to account for 

 the ph.cnonienon of thunder. 



We know that oxygen and hydrogen 

 gafes, combined in certain proportiix'is, 

 fonn water ; (jr, in other words, that water 

 is fomicd-l)y the decompofition of oxy- 

 gen and hydrogen gafes, in the proportion 

 of Q6 parts of the former, and 14 parts 

 of the latter. To efiablilh the theory of 

 the caufc of thunder, it is firll neceflary 

 to account for the formation of cloudsj 

 and next, tlu-ough ti'.eir medium, to ac- 

 count for the phenomenon of tiiunder. 



V'ery probably, the matter ol" clouds 

 arc com[wft.d of oxygen and liydrogen, 

 in a ftate of gas, and very probably in- 

 termixed with a portion of carbonic acid 

 gas. 



1 he hydrogen gas is formed from the 

 effluvia of th.c earth, by the help of the 

 lun's i-ays on its furfacc, aiid being of lei's 

 fpecific gravity than atmofpiieric air, it 

 naturally afcends, and carries with it a 

 portion of oxygen from ihe atmofphcre ; 

 and mixing with the carbonic gas, and 

 fniall portions of vaj-ious other elHuvia, 

 conftitutes what we CM clouds. 



The carbonic gas is formed from fmoke, 

 &c., which may ferve to enclofe the oxy- 

 gen and hydrogen gafes, in the fame 

 manner that air is cnclofcd iu the froth 

 of li(|ui(ls. 



Therefore, I fujipofe that clouds are 

 not one continued luafa or body of va- 



Your's, i!S:c. X. Y. Z. 



pour, or mixed gafe.s, but interfperfed 

 with bubbles or bladders, inflated with u 

 mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gafes. 



Thunder was fuppofed to be caufed by 

 the gxploGon of fulphureous and nitrous 

 vapours by tiie heat of the atmofphcre, 

 aided by electricity. But if we couhder 

 the clouds as formed according to tJift 

 above hypothelis, which to all appear- 

 ances they are, thunder may be account-- 

 cd for in a inuch more fatisfactory way. 



The following experiment will kj-\e, 

 in fome meaiiire, tu prove or elucidate 

 what is here advanced. 



Have a bladder full of oxygen and hy- 

 drogen gafes (combined in the fame pro- 

 portion as fpecined in the commence- 

 ment of this paper), with a ftop cock 

 adapted to it, which cock inuncHe in 

 foap-fuds, then turning it, inflate tht 

 fuds or bubble that hangs to it by Ci^in- 

 pi-clfuig the bladder, and you will have a 

 foap bubble inflated with/ a couibinaiion 

 of oxygen and hydrogen gafes, \vliich 

 bubble, if an electric fpark is made to 

 pafs through it, wiU explode or detonate 

 with a loud report, and the two mixed 

 gafes will be found converted to water, 

 equal in weight to the decompofed gafes. 



The clouds may in fome meafure 1)6 

 coui|jared to the foap bubbles in the 

 above experiment, ai they are chietiy 

 conipofcd of oxygen and hydrogen gafes.' 

 Therefore, fuppofe the atmofphcre to be 

 pofitively ele(^,tritied in one part, and ne- 

 gati\ely in another, they will endeavour 

 to form an equilibrium ; and meeting 

 with a cloud in the circuit of the electric 

 fluid, the gas contained in that cloud will 

 be decom[)ofed, exhibiting the phenome- 

 non of thunder by the esploljon, and i» 

 followu-,4 



