﻿Theories 
  of 
  Matter 
  and 
  Mass. 
  17 
  

  

  They 
  involve 
  an 
  error 
  of 
  magnitude 
  comparable 
  with 
  

   (n—z)/z 
  at 
  most. 
  Thus 
  if 
  5- 
  = 
  20, 
  /j 
  = 
  18, 
  even 
  the 
  first 
  figure 
  

   may 
  be 
  wrong. 
  Their 
  utility 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  high 
  

   values. 
  For 
  example, 
  they 
  will 
  yield 
  Jiooo 
  (1000) 
  to 
  two 
  

   significant 
  figures, 
  and 
  probably 
  more, 
  as 
  yn—z)lz 
  is 
  actually 
  

   larger 
  than 
  the 
  involved 
  error. 
  

  

  Trinity 
  College, 
  Cambridge. 
  

  

  III. 
  Theories 
  of 
  Matter 
  and 
  Mass, 
  By 
  Louis 
  T. 
  More, 
  Ph.D., 
  

   Professor 
  of 
  Physics, 
  University 
  of 
  Cincinnati* 
  . 
  

  

  IT 
  is 
  perhaps 
  reasonable 
  to 
  associate 
  the 
  name 
  o£ 
  Newton 
  

   with 
  speculations 
  regarding 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  matter 
  and 
  

   the 
  fundamental 
  principles 
  of 
  mechanics, 
  and 
  those 
  who 
  

   attempt 
  to 
  dispense 
  with 
  the 
  axiom 
  that 
  mass 
  or 
  inertia 
  is 
  

   an 
  inherent 
  and 
  unexplainable 
  attribute 
  of 
  matter, 
  are 
  apt 
  

   to 
  call 
  their 
  systems 
  non-Xewtonian 
  mechanics. 
  In 
  fact, 
  the 
  

   problem 
  is 
  far 
  older 
  than 
  Newton, 
  and 
  goes 
  back 
  as 
  a 
  per- 
  

   sistent 
  dualism 
  to 
  at 
  least 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  Grreek 
  philosophers, 
  

   who 
  recognized 
  that 
  cosmic 
  theories 
  could 
  be 
  built 
  up 
  on 
  the 
  

   axiom 
  of 
  the 
  objective 
  reality 
  of 
  matter, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  theory 
  

   that 
  the 
  external 
  world 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  subjective 
  idea 
  mirrored 
  by 
  

   our 
  sensations. 
  Since 
  Newton's 
  formulation 
  of 
  the 
  laws 
  of 
  

   gravitation 
  and 
  motion 
  scientific 
  thought 
  has, 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  

   part, 
  squarely 
  placed 
  itself 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  objective 
  reality 
  

   of 
  matter, 
  and 
  associated 
  with 
  it 
  an 
  inalienable 
  property, 
  

   inertia 
  or 
  mass. 
  To 
  be 
  sure, 
  Newton 
  himself, 
  in 
  letters 
  and 
  

   by 
  queries 
  in 
  his 
  treatises, 
  ventures 
  certain 
  metaphysical 
  

   guesses 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  causes 
  of 
  inertia 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  gravi- 
  

   tation. 
  But 
  when 
  he 
  discusses 
  mechanics 
  scientifically 
  he 
  

   puts 
  such 
  speculations 
  resolutely 
  aside 
  with 
  the 
  remark, 
  

   hypotheses 
  non 
  fingo, 
  undoubtedly 
  feeling 
  that 
  science 
  begins 
  

   with 
  the 
  simple 
  assumption 
  of 
  some 
  such 
  axioms, 
  and 
  has 
  no 
  

   conr^ern 
  with 
  their 
  causes. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  of 
  conservation 
  of 
  energy, 
  

   another 
  apparently 
  invariable 
  property 
  of 
  matter 
  has 
  become 
  

   available, 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  base 
  theory. 
  As 
  the 
  scientist 
  accepts 
  

   without 
  hesitation 
  the 
  reality 
  and 
  continuity 
  of 
  space 
  and 
  

   time, 
  it 
  is 
  natural 
  that 
  a 
  controversy 
  should 
  arise 
  as 
  to 
  which 
  

   of 
  the 
  two 
  properties 
  of 
  matter, 
  mass 
  or 
  energv, 
  may 
  serve 
  

   best 
  to 
  make 
  concrete 
  to 
  us 
  the 
  abstractions 
  space 
  and 
  timet. 
  

  

  * 
  Communicated 
  by 
  the 
  Author. 
  

  

  t 
  The 
  only 
  attempt 
  T 
  am 
  acquainted 
  with, 
  to 
  express 
  time 
  as 
  a 
  

   function 
  of 
  space, 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  by 
  Bergson 
  in 
  his 
  " 
  Essai 
  sur 
  les 
  

   donn^es 
  immediates 
  de 
  la 
  conscience." 
  

  

  Phil. 
  Mag. 
  S. 
  6. 
  Vol. 
  18. 
  No. 
  103. 
  Jahj 
  1909. 
  C 
  

  

  