OBJECTS.] INTRODUCTORY, 



lighter than it was before; water, therefore, has 

 weight. 



And. finally, if you throw the water out of the tum- 

 bler at any slightly supported object, the water hitting 

 against it would knock it over. That is to say, the 

 water being put in motion is able to transfer that 

 motion to something else. 



All these phenomena, as things which happen in 

 nature are often called, are effects of which water, 

 under the conditions mentioned, is the cause, and they 

 may therefore be said to be properties ( 4) of water. 



All things which occupy space, offer resistance, 

 possess weight and transfer motion to other things 

 when they strike against them, are termed material 

 substances or bodies, or simply matter. Water, 

 therefore, is a kind, or form, of matter. 



15. Water is a liquid. 



You will easily observe that, though water occupies 

 space, it has no definite shape, but fits itself exactly 

 to the figure of the vessel which holds it. If the 

 tumbler is cylindrical, the contour of the surface of 

 the water will be circular when the tumbler is held 

 vertically, and will change, without the least break or 

 interruption, to more and more of an oval when the tum- 

 bler is inclined ; and, whatever the shape of the vessel 

 into which you pour it, the sides of the water always 

 exactly fit against the sides of the vessel. If you put 

 your finger into the water you can move it in all direc- 

 tions with scarcely any feeling of obstacle. If you 

 pull your finger out there is no hole left, the water on 

 all sides rushing together to fill up the space that was 

 occupied by the finger. You cannot take up a handful of 



