ON CAPILLARY ACTION. 293 



this fluid parallel to its surface, and perpendicularly to the 

 right line that terminates it, proportionally to the length 

 of this line : but this attraction, resolved into a vertical 

 force, is proportional to the horizontal magnitude of the 

 plane. Hence it is easy to conclude generally, that, what- 

 ever be the figure of the base of the prism, its vertical at- 

 traction, and that of the exterior fluid on the fluid included 

 in it, are the same as if the base were horizontal. The 

 first theorem therefore will hold generally, if we under- 

 stand by the circumference of the interior base that of the 

 interior section, perpendicular to the sides of the prism. 



u If the prism, the lower part of which is immersed Tho volume of 

 in a fluid in a vessel of indefinite size, be inclined to theJjJ^ e r JJ^ eTel 

 horizon, the volume of fluid in the prism raised above the in the inverse 

 level of the fluid in the vessel, multiplied by the size of the ™" h f : '$$£* 

 angle of inclination between the side of the prism and the tion. 

 horizon, will be constantly the same, whatever this incli- 

 nation may be." 



In fact, this product expresses the weight of the volume 

 «of fluid raised above the level, and resolved into a force 

 parallel to the sides of the prism : this weight, thus resolved, 

 must balance the attraction of the prism and the external 

 fluid to the fluid it contains; an attraction evidently the 

 same, whatever may be the inclination of the prism ; there- 

 fore the mean perpendicular height of the fluid above the 

 4evel is constantly the same. 



" If a parallelopipedon be placed perpendicularly in Ascent of a ft uid 

 another parallelopipedon of the same material, and their r aUdopipedong" 

 inferior extremities be immersed in a fluid; putting V for of the same ma- 

 tte volume of fluid raised above the level in the space in- tena ' 

 eluded between the two parallelopipedons, we shall have 



r= THT x ( c + c ') =1 & x (* + c ') ; cbei " sthe 



inner circumference of the base of the larger parallelopi- 

 pedon, and c' the outer circumference of the. base of the 

 smaller." 



This theorem is demonstrable in the same manner as the Demonstrated. 

 first. If the bases of the two parallelopipedons be similar 

 polygons, the homologous sides of which are parallel, and 

 placed ail at the same distance, if we put I for this distance, 



the 



