Details
MICHELL, J[OHN]. A Treatise of Artificial Magnets. Cambridge, 1750. 8vo, rebound in later marbled boards, morocco spine label; repair on upper title margin, a little spotting on a few upper margins. FIRST EDITION. Title leaf and 81pp. Engraved folding plate.
RARE FIRST EDITION OF MICHELL'S IMPORTANT TREATISE STATING THE LAW OF MAGNETIC ATTRACTION AND REPULSION. HE WRITES: "EACH POLE ATTRACTS OR REPELS EXACTLY EQUALLY, AT EQUAL DISTANCES, IN EVERY DIRECTION...THE ATTRACTION AND REPULSION OF MAGNETS DECREASE, AS THE SQUARES OF THE DISTANCES FROM THE RESPECTIVE POLES INCREASE." MICHELL GOES ON TO WRITE THAT HE DEDUCED THIS LAW "FROM SOME OTHER EXPERIMENTS, I HAVE MADE MY SELF AND FROM THOSE I HAVE SEEN OTHERS."--(PAGES 17-19). THE IDEAS AND OBERVATIONS STATED IN THIS TREATISE SUPPORT CAVENDISH'S CLAIM THAT INDEED IT WAS MICHELL WHO FIRST HAD DISCOVERED THE LAW OF ATTRACTION AND REPULSION, PRIOR TO COULOMB (CAVENDISH TESTIFIED THIS IN A PAPER ON THE DENSITY OF THE EARTH [CF. WOLF, P. 246]). ALSO IN THIS WORK, MICHEL EXPLAINS FOR THE FIRST TIME AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF PRODUCING STRONG ARTIFICIAL MAGNETS (CF. GERLAND-TRAUMUELLER, PHYSICALISCHE EXPERIMENTIERKUNST, P.348).
RARE FIRST EDITION OF MICHELL'S IMPORTANT TREATISE STATING THE LAW OF MAGNETIC ATTRACTION AND REPULSION. HE WRITES: "EACH POLE ATTRACTS OR REPELS EXACTLY EQUALLY, AT EQUAL DISTANCES, IN EVERY DIRECTION...THE ATTRACTION AND REPULSION OF MAGNETS DECREASE, AS THE SQUARES OF THE DISTANCES FROM THE RESPECTIVE POLES INCREASE." MICHELL GOES ON TO WRITE THAT HE DEDUCED THIS LAW "FROM SOME OTHER EXPERIMENTS, I HAVE MADE MY SELF AND FROM THOSE I HAVE SEEN OTHERS."--(PAGES 17-19). THE IDEAS AND OBERVATIONS STATED IN THIS TREATISE SUPPORT CAVENDISH'S CLAIM THAT INDEED IT WAS MICHELL WHO FIRST HAD DISCOVERED THE LAW OF ATTRACTION AND REPULSION, PRIOR TO COULOMB (CAVENDISH TESTIFIED THIS IN A PAPER ON THE DENSITY OF THE EARTH [CF. WOLF, P. 246]). ALSO IN THIS WORK, MICHEL EXPLAINS FOR THE FIRST TIME AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF PRODUCING STRONG ARTIFICIAL MAGNETS (CF. GERLAND-TRAUMUELLER, PHYSICALISCHE EXPERIMENTIERKUNST, P.348).