An instrument for finding the force of falling bodies
Date
18 February 1663
Creator
Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 308mm
width (page): 204mm
width (page): 204mm
Subject
Description
A figure accompanying Robert Hooke's paper titled 'A description of the Instrument for finding the force of falling bodys. by Mr Hook.', which was read at a meeting of the Royal Society on 18 February 1663.
ABC: pedestal for the scale.
DE: a double beam of a scale, designed to let a steel ball, F, fall from a height onto a steel plate, G.
H: counterpoise on the scale, IK.
L: a small spring with a stay, M, to detect whether the ball has moved the scale.
Copies of the figure can be found in RBO/2ii/115, RBO/2i/151, RBC/1/339, MS/776/347, MS/215/073 and RB/1/20/257.
ABC: pedestal for the scale.
DE: a double beam of a scale, designed to let a steel ball, F, fall from a height onto a steel plate, G.
H: counterpoise on the scale, IK.
L: a small spring with a stay, M, to detect whether the ball has moved the scale.
Copies of the figure can be found in RBO/2ii/115, RBO/2i/151, RBC/1/339, MS/776/347, MS/215/073 and RB/1/20/257.
Transcription
'ABC. The Pedestall for the scales.
DE. A Double beame between the two cheeks of which the steel ball F falls from a determinate height upon the steel plate G. And if by the at fall it moves the Double beame and the Counterpoise H lying the scale IK it gives the small spring L a free passage to slip between the end of the Double beame and the stay M by which meanes there is given a certain signe whether the falling body has movd the scale and counterpoise soe far as to admitt the very thin edg of ye spring. The rest of the Contrivance is obvious enough from the sceme it self.'
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
DE. A Double beame between the two cheeks of which the steel ball F falls from a determinate height upon the steel plate G. And if by the at fall it moves the Double beame and the Counterpoise H lying the scale IK it gives the small spring L a free passage to slip between the end of the Double beame and the stay M by which meanes there is given a certain signe whether the falling body has movd the scale and counterpoise soe far as to admitt the very thin edg of ye spring. The rest of the Contrivance is obvious enough from the sceme it self.'
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 18 February 1663, ‘[Hooke's] account of the force of falling bodies was read, and ordered to be registered’ (Birch 1:195). The text and figure are reproduced in Birch 1:195-97.
This figure was printed in Plate 1 from Robert Hooke, Posthumous Works, ed. by Richard Waller (London: S. Smith and B. Walford, 1705), after p. 126, fig. 1.
This figure was printed in Plate 1 from Robert Hooke, Posthumous Works, ed. by Richard Waller (London: S. Smith and B. Walford, 1705), after p. 126, fig. 1.
Associated place