MECHANISM OF NATURE 



PROPOSITION IX. 



The particles composing a gaseous substance are 

 not round, they are not interlocked, neither are 

 they in contact one with another. 



Because the particles of a gaseous substance are 

 still the identical particles that composed the same 

 substance in the solid and liquid state; therefore, 

 these particles are not round. (Prop. VI.) 



Because a gaseous substance readily assumes the 

 shape of any vessel containing it; therefore, the 

 particles composing it are not interlocked. 



Because the same mass (Axiom IV) of a gas- 

 eous substance occupies more room in a vessel 

 than it does while in the liquid state. 



Therefore, the particles are farther apart in the 

 gaseous state than in the liquid state. 



But the particles were already apart in the 

 liquid state. Then they must be still farther apart 

 in the gaseous state; therefore, the particles com- 

 posing a gaseous substance are not round; they 

 are not interlocked; neither are they in contact 

 one with another. 



PROPOSITION X. 



A perfect sphere cannot be built up of lesser 

 indivisible spheres; nor can a perfect cube or any 

 other rectilineal solid be built up of indivisible 

 spheres. 



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