On tlic S lib- Mechanics of the Universe. 431 



instituting the complex inequality, is eighty-one thousand billions less 

 than that of the electric effort. 



5. Cohesion between the singular surfaces of the negative inequali- 

 ties results from the terms which were not taken into account in the 

 first approximation, which corresponds to gravitation. These secondary 

 terms involve the inverse distance to the sixth power, and have there- 

 fore a very short range, and so correspond to efforts of cohesion of the 

 singular surfaces as well as surface tensions, having no effect when the 

 singular surfaces, or molecules, are separated by a distance very small 

 compared with the diameter of the singular surface. 



6. Transverse undulations in the medium corresponding to the 

 waves of light are instituted by the disruptive reversion of the com- 

 plex inequalities. The recoil sets up a vibration which is exhausted in 

 initiating light. 



7. Thus far the sketch of the results has included only those for 

 which there exists sufficient evidence to admit of definite quantitative 

 analysis. Nevertheless, these quantitative results show that the 

 granular medium, as already defined, accounts by purely mechanical 

 considerations for the evidence, and affords the only purely mechanical 

 explanation possible. If then the substructure of the universe is 

 mechanical, all the evidence not already adduced is such as may be 

 accounted for by an extension of the analysis. And this is found to 

 be the case. 



The results of the further analysis afford proof 



Of the existence of coincidence between the periods of vibration of 



the molecules and the periods of the waves ; 

 That dissociation of the compound molecules proves the previous 



state to have been one of limited stability ; 

 That the reassociations of compound molecules result from the 



reversion of complex inequalities ; 



Of the absorption of the energy of light by inequalities ; 

 That negative inequalities affect the waves passing through ; 

 That refraction is caused by the vibration of inequalities having the 



same periods as the waves ; 

 That dispersion results from the greater number of coincidences as 



the waves get shorter ; 

 That the polarisation by reflection is caused only by that component 



of the transverse motion in the medium which is in the plane of 



incidence and results from the passage of the light from a space 



without, or with few, inequalities, through a surface into a 



space in which there are more inequalities ; 

 That the metallic reflection results from the relative smallness of 



the dimensions of the molecules compared with the length of the 



wave and the closeness of their piling when the waves pass from 



2 H 2 



