30 KANSAS CITY RE VIE IV OF SCIENCE. 



water being unity. With this magic number, all depths of space may be explor- 

 ed, and it can at once be told how much heat will be evolved by the cessation of 

 motion of any cosmical body, as soon as it is learned how fast it is moving. 



Having now the heat unit of the universe refined down to definite velocity, 

 we are ready to launch into interstellar space, to learn first the velocities of bodies 

 moving therein, and, secondly, to calculate the intensity of heat capable of being 

 developed if the motion should be brought to a rest. The rule for finding the 

 amount of heat evolved by the termination of motion is : Multiply the square of 

 the velocity in feet per second by the reciprocal of the square of 223, or 

 .00002010899. 



If a mass of matter fall from an infinite distance, with unimpeded motion, 

 and strike the earth, its velocity at the insjant of impact is equal to the square 

 root of the product of twice the intensity of gravity multiplied by the length of 

 the radius of the earth. And this motion at the moment of collision must be 

 found in feet per second, because the unit of measurement is 223 feet per second. 

 Twice the force of gravity is 64.4156, and the mean equatorial radius of the earth 

 is 20,923,161 feet. The square root of the product of these numbers is 36,645 

 feet, or 6.94034 miles per second, velocity acquired by a mass falling on the earth 

 from a distance that is infinite. The force of gravity on the surface of the sun is 

 27.696 times stronger than on the earth's surface while the radius of the sun is 

 108.51 13 times greater than that of the earth. Therefore, by the law of gravity, 

 the velocity of impact of cosmic matter on the sun must be 54.8208 times more 

 rapid than on the earth. This is known, because the square root of the product 

 of 27.696 and 108.5113 is 54.8208, whence 36,645 multiplied by 54.8208 gives 

 2,008,908 feet, or 380.0962 miles per second velocity with which a mass would 

 strike the sun after falhng from an infinite distance. And this inconceivable 

 motion must all be converted into heat at the instant of coUision. Now, square 

 2,008,908, multiply the product by .00002010899, ^^^ ^^ have the appalling heat 

 of 81,154,081° F. as the intensity generated by cometary or other cosmic bom- 

 bardment of the sun by masses that fall from infinite distances. Some sensa- 

 tional writers, having heard of this, at once seek to alarm all timid people by 

 printing outrageous accounts of the impending destruction of man. Such publi- 

 cations are little better than criminal. 



What we have said relates to bodies making impact on the sun after reaching 

 it from distances that are infinite ; now; how great velocity will be imparted to 

 masses falling from distances that are finite, and capable of being handled by 

 figures ? Distance in relation to solar gravity has peculiar properties, thus : The 

 nearest sun to ours is 20,000 000,000,000 miles away ; let us go out into space 

 half way, or 10,000,000,000,000 miles, and make computation, seeking to learn 

 with what velocity a mass beginning to fall from that point will finally strike the 

 sun. The velocity, 2,008,908 feet per second, is called the solar constant of 

 velocity, and many complicated problems wherein gravity and motion are factors, 

 can be solved in a few minutes by its use. Employing it in a calculation for a 

 radius 10,000,000,000,000 miles, and carrying out the work into minute decimals, 



