SOME STUDIES IN HEAT by Frederick Griggs

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 27, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 48.

SOME STUDIES IN HEAT.

By Frederick Griggs

It must ever be borne in mind that for one to get a clear idea of what he is studying, he must talk much of what he is studying. The words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts would be purer if we talked more of what we were studying in God’s great nature book, and less about our neighbor’s affairs. Another great lesson to be learned is that of accuracy in every detail in our description. The majority of people fail in the affairs of life because they are not attentive to details—minute particulars. And yet it is these same minute particulars which make up the whole. In the study of a plant, for instance, every particular must be noted, and in a very careful manner.

While in the study of physical and chemical laws much experimentation is necessary, yet much can be observed without experiments. Seeing an apple fall, and thinking about what he saw, was what led Newton to discover his great laws of gravity and falling bodies, with many other related subjects. Notice that it was not simply seeing the apple fall, but it was thinking about what he saw, that led him on.

The subject of heat presents a field of interesting studies. Light and heat are closely related. There are, indeed, no forms of light that do not produce some degree of heat. Heat is energy. Energy is the power of doing work. Accordingly heat actually does work. We can see this working power of heat manifested commonly and plainly in the freezing, melting, and boiling of water. Here the changes are marked and rapid. But it works in everything that exists; and this great force comes directly from God.

In this subject, as in all nature, are presented many problems for our solution. Nearly every child knows that a tub of water placed in a root-cellar will keep the roots from freezing quite as much as will a pot of coals. The water will freeze, but the roots will not. This is known by many who do not stop even to inquire how it can be—why it is so. The explanation is not far to seek, when we stop to consider that water, in freezing, gives off many degrees of heat. Heat is caused by the vibration of the minute particles, or molecules, as they are called, of matter; and that “matter” may be the air, or it may be iron. This vibration began in the beginning, when the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters which covered the earth. This moving, or vibration, brought all the forms of life into existence, and it is still going on in all forms of life. The theory has been advanced by men who have studied deeply into natural laws, that every molecule of matter in the universe is in some degree of vibration or motion. I use the words vibration or motion as meaning the same, but in one sense they do not. For when anything vibrates, it plays back and forth over the same path; while a thing may be in motion and not go over a path, the second time. These wise men, in their theory of the constant vibration of the molecules of all matter, are undoubtedly correct, but they leave out the beauty of it all when they fail to teach that it is the Spirit or life of God that causes this vibration. But this beauty can only be realized by one in whom this Spirit of life is moving,—not alone in the physical being, but in a higher and truer sense, in the mental and spiritual elements of his life. When this is true, he can then

hold communion with the various forms of nature. When the vibrations of the molecules of water are great, it passes off in steam. Steam rises because the particles of water, through their vibration, have become lighter than the air, and are lifted up by the heavier air pressing under them, in the same way that the water, heavier than the wood which has been thrown into it, will press under and lift it up. The reason that water freezes is that the vibrations of the molecules of water are so small, that the molecules become so compact as to present a solid appearance. The thermometer will aid in interesting children in the study of heat.

That heat is able to perform work is hard for them to realize. The fact, however, that heat, continually passing into a vessel of melting snow or ice, does not raise the temperature while the ice is melting, is enough to set them to thinking on the subject in an intelligent way. The uniform temperature of water after it has been raised to a boiling point, even when heat is continually added, is a further manifestation of the same law. The question which naturally rises in the mind of the child is, What becomes of this excess of heat which is passing into the water when either boiling or melting? The answer is not a hard one to find. The child can hardly go wrong if properly directed. Help him to search for it.

Heat is thrown from bodies of matter in two ways,—by radiation and reflection. The radiation of heat is noticed from the hot iron when held near the face or hands. Heat which strikes a body and is then thrown back is said to be reflected. When any body is held near a warmer one, it becomes warmer. Anything so warmed is said to get its heat by absorption.

I want now to ask a few questions, to assist in the study of this subject: Are those objects which are good reflectors also good radiators? Are good radiators good absorbers? Is a window-glass a good absorber? Is it a good radiator? Is it a good reflector? Which of these qualities should a stove possess? Does color affect the result in the matter of these qualities? When an opportunity offers itself, spread two small squares of cloth, one white and one black, upon the snow in the sunshine, and note the results in the melting of the snow under each one. Try different materials of each color and of different colors. Is the rate of melting dependent upon the color or material and texture of the cloth? From these experiments can you learn anything definite as to the best material and color of cloth to wear at different seasons of the year? Why does the earth become cooler after sunset? Which becomes cold faster, land or water? Why? Why is it that dew forms at nightfall? Why is the formation of dew dependent upon the clearness of the night?

I have asked these questions simply as suggestions. Teach the children to see that the things themselves ask the same questions. This last idea is a great step in learning—to let the objects ask the questions as they naturally want to. Or putting it in another way, teach the children to ask intelligent questions about what they see. This is quite as important as to answer the questions which others have asked.

So. Lancaster, Mass. FREDERICK GRIGGS.