84 



EXPLOSION BY INFLUENCE. 



2. The author deemed it expedient to make fresh researches 

 with gases and with liquids, which substances are more suitable 

 for propagating the vibratory movement, properly so called, 

 than a powder. Substances were selected decomposable with 



liberation of heat, so 

 as to lessen the im- 

 portance of the part 

 played by the vibratory 

 movement, in propa- 

 gating reaction with- 

 out compelling it to 

 do all its work in virtue 

 of its own energy. 

 Finally, experiments 

 were made on un- 

 stable bodies, and even 

 during a state of con- 

 tinuous decomposition 

 which it was merely a 

 question of accelerat- 

 ing; these apparently 

 are the most favour- 

 able conditions. The 

 whole question was to 

 make the substance 

 resound into chemical 

 transformation. The 

 trials were carried out 

 by two processes which 

 correspond to vibra- 

 tions of very unequal 

 rapidity, namely : 



1st. By means of a 

 large horizontal tuning 

 fork moved by an elec- 

 tric interruptor, and 

 one of the arms of 

 which was loaded with 

 a bottle of 250 cms. 

 capacity, containing 

 the gas or liquid, the 

 other arm bearing an 

 equivalent weight. The 

 effective vibration of 

 the bottle has been verified, as also that of the liquid, otherwise 

 manifested by ordinary optical appearances. This arrangement 

 has supplied about 100 simple vibrations per second (Fig. 7). 

 2nd. By means of a large horizontal glass tube sealed at both 



