ALG 



A L G 



resemble the common fowl in the form of 

 the beak. See Cracidce. 



ALE'MBIC. A chemical vessel, em- 

 ployed in distillation, and consisting of a 

 body, cucurbit, or matrass, which serves 

 as a boiler, and a head, or capital, with a 

 pipe and receiver. 



A'LEMBROTH SALT. A compound 

 of bichloride of mercury and sal ammo- 

 niac ; the salt of wisdom of the alchemists. 



A'LG^ (alga, a sea-weed). Algacecc. 

 The Sea-weed tribe of Cellular or Crypto- 

 gamic plants. Leafless, flowerless plants, 

 without any distinct axis of vegetation, 

 growing in water. Reproductive matter, 

 either absent or contained in the joints 

 of the filaments, or deposited in peculiar 

 thecae formed in the substance of the 

 frond. Sporules without any proper in- 

 tegument. 



1. Jointless Algce. These comprise all 

 the broad membrane-like sea and fresh- 

 water species, as well as the large and 

 tough tangles and dulses so common on 

 our coasts. The genera fucus and ulva 

 belong to this division of algae. 



2. Jointed Algce. These are generally 

 termed Conferva, and comprise the 

 greater number of fresh-water species, 

 and many of marine station. They con- 

 sist of thread-like jointed tubes. 



3. Disjointed Alga;. These are cha- 

 racterized by their original or final spon- 

 taneous separation into distinct frag- 

 ments, which have a common origin, but 

 an individual life. They constitute the 

 organic limits of the animal and the 

 vegetable kingdoms. 



A'LGAROTH, POWDER OF. An 

 oxichloride of antimony, precipitated on 

 throwing a concentrated solution of the 

 chloride into water, and named after a 

 physician of "Verona. 



A'LGEBRA. The science which teaches 

 to reason about indeterminate quantities 

 by means of letters of the alphabet, and 

 certain signs and symbols, which are em- 

 ployed to represent both the quantities 

 themselves and the manner in which 

 they are connected with other quantities. 

 It is, in fact, universal arithmetic. The 

 term algebra is derived from some Arabic 

 words, signifying restoration and reduc- 

 tion. 



ALGEBRA'IC. An expression is said 

 to be algebraic, as distinguished from 

 transcendental, when its number of terms 

 is finite, and when each terra contains 

 only addition, subtraction, multiplica- 

 tion, and division, and extraction of 

 roots, the exponents of which are given. 

 15 



Thus, all infinite series, as well as ex- 

 pressions containing 



log. X, a*, sin. x, cos. x, &c., 

 though used in Algebra, in the widest 

 sense of the word, are properly said to be 

 not algebraic, but transcendental. Simi- 

 larly, a curve is said to be algebraic when 

 its equation contaiiiis no transcendental 

 quantities. 



ALGEBRA'IC CURVE. A curve of 

 which the relation between the abscissa 

 and the ordinates is expressed by an 

 algebraic equation, or an equation of 

 which the terms contain only algebraic 

 quantities. This is also called a geome- 

 trical curve, in contradistinction to a 

 mechanical or transcendental curve. 



ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY. A name 

 given to the application of Algebra to the 

 solution of geometrical problems. 



ALGEBRA'ICAL SIGNS. Certain 

 signs used in algebraical and mathe- 

 matical operations, to denote the relation 

 of numbers, magnitudes, and quantities. 

 The characters with which they are used 

 are either the arithmetical figures, as 

 denoting numbers, or the letters of the 

 alphabet, as denoting magnitudes or 

 quantities. The explanation of these 

 signs is as follows : — 

 = Equality, denotes that the numbers 

 or quantities between which it is 

 placed are equal to each other : as 2 

 and 2 = 4. 

 + Addition, generally called plus, a 

 Latin word for more: it denotes that 

 the numbers, or quantities between 

 which it is placed, are to be added to- 

 gether : as 3 + 2, or 3 more 2, are 

 equal to 5 ; or 3 + 2 = 5. 

 — Subtraction, called minus, meaning 

 less: it is placed between numbers or 

 quantities, and denotes that the num- 

 ber, &c., placed after it, is to be sub- 

 tracted from that which is before it • 

 as 5 — 2 = 3. 

 X or • , Composition, or Multiplication, 

 denotes that the numbers between 

 which it is placed are to be multiplied 

 by each other, or together: as 5x3, 

 or 5 • 3 = 15. In numbers it is best 

 to use X, as • is apt to be mistaken 

 for a decimal point. With letters it 

 is indifferent which is used ; and 

 single letters are understood to be 

 multiplied where there is no sign be- 

 tween them : as a b denotes the pro- 

 duct or result of the multiplication of 

 the two numbers represented by a 

 and b. Numbers multiplied together 

 are called factors. 



