Glass instrument with a bolt head
Date
1 July 1663
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p244
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 350mm
width (page): 230mm
width (page): 230mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Drawing of a glass instrument with a bolt head placed in a small glass vessel. Robert Hooke used this instrument with an air pump for a series of experiments in July 1663, including a variation of the Torricellian experiment using water and an experiment on the 'uniting and mixing of air and water'.
The original drawing by Hooke is at Cl.P/20/20/001.
The original drawing by Hooke is at Cl.P/20/20/001.
Transcription
A Bolthead of the shape of A, containing about six or seven ounces of Water, with a neck about six inches long, was filled top-ful with water, and the mouth of it inserted, into a small glass body of Water, as B; and so-conveyed into the Receiver, of the evacuation Engine, and kept there till the Receiver had been very well exhausted; then it was taken out, and the little bubble of Air, that was found in the bolt-head, and had been drawn out, of the water, was removed, and as much of the common air put in its place, and then suffered to stand in the posture represented in the figuer [sic]. By this, at the same time, was set just such another bolt-head and body, and was filled with common water (out of which, the Air had not been exhausted) only, a buble of common Air, about the bignesse of that which was put into the other Bolt-head, was left at the top; There being observed, afforded these Phaenomena into the water within a day or two: But the buble in the later was found not much diminisht, about a week after.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 1 July 1663, ‘Mons. Huygens’s experiment of purging water from air, to see whether it would subside, according to the Torricellian experiment, was made, but did not succeed; and was therefore ordered to be repeated at the next meeting. Mr. Hooke’s experiment for finding, whether the bubbles, that rise out of the water upon the emptying a receiver of the air, are real air, or only rarefied parts of water, was ordered to be repeated at the next meeting’ (Birch 1:268).
8 July 1663, ‘[Mr. Hooke] was ordered to give, in writing, the two experiments lately made concerning the bubbles remaining on the top of the water in glass balls, upon the emptying of the receiver; and the not subsiding of the water freed from air. The operator was ordered to get the long glass tubes raised against the next meeting’ (Birch 1:273).
16 July 1663, ‘Mr. Hooke brought in an account in writing of two experiments tried by the society, one concerning the uniting and mixing of air and water; the other concerning the suspension of defecated water in a bolt head after the receiver had been well exhausted. This account was ordered to be registered’ (Birch 1:274-75). The figure and text are printed in Birch 1:275.
8 July 1663, ‘[Mr. Hooke] was ordered to give, in writing, the two experiments lately made concerning the bubbles remaining on the top of the water in glass balls, upon the emptying of the receiver; and the not subsiding of the water freed from air. The operator was ordered to get the long glass tubes raised against the next meeting’ (Birch 1:273).
16 July 1663, ‘Mr. Hooke brought in an account in writing of two experiments tried by the society, one concerning the uniting and mixing of air and water; the other concerning the suspension of defecated water in a bolt head after the receiver had been well exhausted. This account was ordered to be registered’ (Birch 1:274-75). The figure and text are printed in Birch 1:275.
Related fellows
Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
Associated place