The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., epitomiz'd by Richard Boulton ... ; illustrated with copper plates.

EXPERIMENT XXXI.

* 1.1TO try the Strength of the Air's Spring, when rarify'd, in a great Measure, by Ex∣suction, in our Receiver; we try'd an Experi∣ment, formerly more fully taken notice of, with two flat polish'd Marbles: For having fasten'd a Weight of about four Ounces to the lower, and wet the flat Superficies of them with Spirit of Wine, to keep the Air from getting betwixt them, we put them into our Receiver, and found that the Spring of the Air, after several Exsu∣ctions, was strong enough to bear up the Under∣stone, and to keep it from falling. And how strong the Cohaesion of Flat Bodies may be, we have a Notable Instance related P. Nic. Zucchius, apud Schot. Part. 1. Mec. Hydraulopneum, who says, Juveni lacertorum suorum robur jactanti proposita semel est laminea aerea, per ansam in medio extan∣tem apprehensam elevanda è Tabula Marmorea, cui optimè congruebat: Tum instantibus amicis manum utramque admovens, cum luctatus diu harentem re∣movisset,

excusavit impotentiam objecta peregrini & potentissimi glutinis Interpositione, quo fortissimè co∣pulante nequiret divelli; donec vidit ab alio per ta∣bulam facillimè laminam deduci, & ad extrema pro∣ductam, & actam in transversum inde deportari. But to make it evident, that two Bodies may stick together, by having their Surfaces Contiguous only in a small Compass, I shall subjoyn an Ex∣periment made in our Receiver.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Concerning the Cohae∣sion of Flat Bodies.