3800. | 
as fuficiently proved, or rendered proba- 
ble, with refpect to extent of the univerfe, 
and the order in which the celeftial bodies 
are placed ?”” 
In the anfwer to this queftion, the fo- 
ciety requires a concife and generally in- 
telligible account of the prefent ftate of the 
fcience, as far as relates to the fubjecét of 
the queition ; and defires that it be briefly 
fnewn how improbable and groundlefs even 
fome hypothefes are which have been 
formed in this refpect. 
If. “* In what manner do the different 
kinds of earth promote the vegetation of 
plants; and what are the conclufions 
which, from the knowledge we have ac- 
quired on this < fubjeét from the moft re- 
cent progrefs in the phyfiology of plants, 
may be deduced with refpect to the choice 
of manure, and the fertilizing of wafte and 
barren lands ?”” 
Ill. ‘*Is the ftudy of natural hiftory of 
fo great utility to youth, that it ought to 
be confidered an effential part in a good 
fyftem of education? And if it be fuch, 
what parts of this fcience ouglit to have 
the preference, and what is the moft pro- 
per and judicious method to encourage 
young peopleto the fludy of the fcience, and 
to render it as ufefultothem as pofiible ?”’ 
IV. ‘It appears, from the experiments 
of Chladni, that, if by means of a bow a 
found be produced on a round plate of 
metal or glafs flightly covered with fand 
or duft, the duft affumes determinate fi- 
gures. Of this phenomenon the focicty 
requires a theory, which muft be the re- 
fult of experiments and obfervations on 
this fubje&t :—and 1. A particularization 
of all the figures which each tone produces, 
and a claffification of thefe figures accord- 
ing to their different kinds:—and 2. A 
phyfical explanation why the duft affumes 
theie figures, and of their relation to the 
refpective tones?” 
The anfwers to the three firt queftions 
muft be fent in before the 1ft of Novem- 
ber, 1801 ; the anfwers to the ath before 
the rft of November, 1802; addreffed to 
Van Marum, fecretary of the Society, and 
accompanied with a fealed note, contain- 
ing the name and addrefs of the author.— 
They may be written in the Latin, Dutch, 
German, or French language. 
PRIZE-QUESTIONS of the ROYAL ACA- 
DEMY Of SCIENCES at COPENHAGEN, 
for the Year 1801. 
As no anfwers were received to the hif- 
torical, mathematical, and phyfical prize- 
guettions for lat year; thefe queftions are 
again propofed for the prefent year, viz, 
Monraty Mas. Na, 64. 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
249 
I. Iz Hiffory —What nations difcovered 
America before the Norwegians, and un- 
dertook voyages to that part of the globe? 
How far, particularly how far tothe fouth, 
did the difcoveries of the Norwegians in 
America extend? The anfwers muft be 
founded on arguments and conjeftures de-~ 
rived from the writings or monuments, 
weapons, buildings, languages, and tra- 
ditions of the Americans. 
Il. In Mathematics. To find the funce 
tions of all the quantities which jointly des 
termine the greatnefs of the calorific eff-ct 
of any combuftible material ufed for fuel, 
as well wood and turf, as foffile coal of 
every fpecies. The réquired equation is 
to be determined'to the greatet exaétnefs 
for four cafes: 1. If wood, turf, or coal, 
be burned in a ftove, to warm an inclofed 
fpace of air, e¢. g. ofa.room: 2. If they be 
ufed on a hearth for the purpofe of boiling 
afluid: 3. If for hardening {ofc fubftances, 
é. g. for burning tiles in a kiln: 4. If for 
melting hard fubflances, e. g. for fufing 
metals. All thefe equations, taking ex- 
perience for a guide, are to be fo infti- 
tuted by means of analyfis, that from 
them the ratio of the calorific effect and 
economical ufe of each fpecies of wood, 
turf, and foffile coals may be computed. 
Ill. Iz Phyfics.—To find, by experi- 
ments, what is the greateft decree of heat 
which the -heated vapour of water. can 
communicate to other bodies? And whe- 
ther that part of water in a Papinian jar, 
which is not changed into vapour by 
means of heat, can have a higher degree 
of temperature than 212° of Fahrenheit? 
IV. In Philofophy.—In dilquifitionibus 
de humane, qua res exifientes fpectat 
atque confiderat, cognitionis natura et in- 
dole indaganda atque explicanda, poft Pla- 
tonis et Ariftotelis tempora, quid philo- 
fophia novi praeftiterit Hic videlicet non 
innuuntur progreflus et incrementa, fcien- 
tiarum doégtrinarumque, qua de rebus 
agunt exiftentibus,five corporeis, five incor- 
poreis; fed quaritur de nobis intrinfeca, 
gue fubjectiva guibufdam dicitur, harum 
rerum cognitione ; qualis nimirum genera- 
tim fit hujus cognitionis indoles, et effica- 
cia,ejufque quenam fit crigoet caufe, que 
porro fint principia et rationes, quibus Ule 
cognofcendi modus definitur ac adftru tur, 
et quibus quz ili ineft aut ineffe putatur 
rectitudo et veritas innititure De his 
quidem rebus, quidnam philofophorum 
meditationibus a Platonis inde et Arifto- 
telis temporibus ad noftram ufque zta- 
tem fuerit effectum, quid additum, aut 
magis confirmatum, aut rectius et planius 
definitum atque illuftratum, hiftorice ut 
Kk exponatur 
