Instrument for finding the force of falling bodies
                                Date
                            
                            
                                18 February 1663
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Creator
                            
                            
                                Unknown, Artist
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Object type
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Archive reference number
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Manuscript page number
                            
                            
                                p257
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Material
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Dimensions
                            
                            
                                height (page): 326mm
width (page): 203mm
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            width (page): 203mm
                                Subject
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Content object
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Description
                            
                            
                                A figure accompanying Robert Hooke's paper titled 'A description of the Instrument for finding the force of falling bodies', 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.
This image is from a partial copy of the Register Book (RBO/2ii/115; RBO/2i/151) now among the Boyle papers. The original drawing by Hooke is at Cl.P/20/12/001. Other copies can be found at MS/776/347, MS/215/073 and RBC/1/339.
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            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.
This image is from a partial copy of the Register Book (RBO/2ii/115; RBO/2i/151) now among the Boyle papers. The original drawing by Hooke is at Cl.P/20/12/001. Other copies can be found at MS/776/347, MS/215/073 and RBC/1/339.
                                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.
                                Related fellows
                            
                            
                                Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691, British) , Natural philosopher
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691, British) , Natural philosopher
                                Associated place