296 Of the Propagation of Heat 



In the experiments which were made with hot water, 

 it was found that a considerable part of the ice which was 

 melted, was melted in consequence of the motions into 

 which the water was thrown upon being poured into the 

 jar, and that the effect of these motions continued to be 

 sensible for a longer time than most of these experiments 

 with cold water lasted. Is it not possible that the re- 

 sults of these experiments with cold water may also have 

 been affected by the same cause ? This is what I shall 

 endeavour to find out. 



In the 3 2d experiment 617 grains of ice were melted 

 in 30 minutes, and in the 33d experiment 585 grains 

 were melted in the same time ; and taking the mean of 

 these two experiments, it appears that 601 grains were 

 melted in 30 minutes. If now from this quantity we 

 deduct that which, according to the mean result of the 

 four preceding experiments, must have been melted in 

 10 minutes, namely, 222 grains, there will remain 379 

 grains for the quantity melted in the last 20 minutes in 

 these two experiments; consequently, half this quantity, 

 or 189I- grains, is what must have been melted in 10 

 minutes in the ordinary course of the process. 



But this quantity (189!^ grains), though less than what 

 was actually melted in the experiments which lasted only 

 10 minutes, is still considerably greater than 152 grains, 

 the quantity which was found to have been melted in the 

 same time in the ordinary course of the process in those 

 experiments in which hot water was used ; consequently, 

 the great question, for the decision of which these experi- 

 ments were contrived, is, I believe I may venture to say, 

 decided. 



But, however conclusive the result of these experi- 

 ments appeared to me to be, I felt myself too much in- 

 terested in the subject to rest my inquiries here. 



