THE 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
OCTOBER, 1883. 
I. THE VELOCITY OF LIGHT* 
By O. Reichenbach. 
(Concluded from page 518 .) 
S j HE position of the centre of gravity of the earth, itself 
l depending on the relation of mass of sea and earth, 
and so forth, determines the refraction of the elements 
constituting the atmosphere. 
The index of refraction of water is 1*336; of sea-water, 
1*343 ; when we modify the latter figure according to the 
mean temperature of the mass of the sea, 1*351. It is — 
0-351 : r35i = i : 3*83- 
The light entering the sea experiences a loss of velocity, 
which is to the velocity of continuation as 1 : 2*83 as the 
densities of water to land, or inversely as their extents, — 
which means that the velocity of light in the average solid 
is zero ; the light is entirely turned into other forms of 
gravity, which the reader may fully comprehend at the end 
of this article. 
The mean amount of “ terrestrian refraction,” “ the 
curvature of a nearly horizontal ray, taking the earth’s 
curvature as unity, is between 1^5 to i~6,” and it is sup- 
posed and calculated that this curving is due to the decrease 
of density of the atmosphere with height 
(i+333) + (1 +59'56) = 1 +5 - 56 
* Referring frequently to “ On some Properties of the Earth ” (Wertheimer 
and Lea : London, 1880 ) I designate it by o. s. p. 
V©L. V. (THIRD SERIES.) 2 P 
