282 PROF. O. REYNOLDS ON THE SUSPENSION 



a couple on the ball, and would not have a snigle resultant. 

 If the drops are not leaving equally all round, the resultant 

 will act in a direction opposite that to in which the greatest 

 number fly off. If, then, more water is thrown off in one 

 direction than in another, and this direction is the same 

 as that of the resultant of the three forces P, R, and W, 

 this water will produce a force such as it has been shown 

 must exist. First, then, is there any reason why more 

 water should be throwji off in one direction than in another ? 

 and, second, in what direction will that be ? The water 

 comes on to the ball at p, and that which adheres is at first 

 spread out in the form of a thin film, on which centrifugal 

 force immediately acts to collect it at the equator. As it 

 collects at the equator, the adhesion becomes less, compared 

 with the mass of water, and the drops separate themselves 

 and fly off ; in this Avay the water would begin to leave at 

 p, and go on until it was all thrown off, so that much 

 more water would leave above p than below. But, besides 

 this, the weight of the water will tend to keep it on or to 

 throw it off, and its action to keep it on will be greatest 

 up to the top, after which the conditions for its leaving 

 become more favourable ; so that the water may begin to 

 leave at jo, or not till it has passed over the top of the ball ; 

 but in either case most of the water will be thrown off 

 before it gets below the horizontal circle on the opposite 

 side to p. On examining the ball, it appears that the 

 water begins to leave at the top. But in either case by 

 far the greater part of the water flies away from the jet. 



It was the discovery of this fact which has enabled me 

 to explain the phenomenon; for this water causes a resultant 

 reaction, which is the additional force necessary to maintain 

 the equilibrium of the ball. 



Let this resultant reaction be called Q : it will act to- 

 wards the jet, and its effect will be, first, to force the ball 

 into the jet, and so will help to counteract the obliquity 



