large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb_25
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb
English
12904
It did not seem impossible that such a rule might exist, since one had been found in connection with matter that appeared in even greater variety than energy did. IT DID NOT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE THAT SUCH A RULE MIGHT EXIST SINCE ONE HAD BEEN FOUND IN CONNECTION WITH MATTER THAT APPEARED IN EVEN GREATER VARIETY THAN ENERGY DID
 and of electricity. It is time to turn to the third strand—energy. To physicists the concept of “work” is that of exerting a force on a body and making it move through some distance. To lift a weight against the pull of gravity is work. To drive a nail into wood against the friction of its fibers is work. Anything capable of performing work is said to possess “energy” from Greek words meaning “work within”. There are various forms of energy. Any moving mass possesses energy by virtue of its motion. That is, a moving hammer will drive a nail into wood, while the same hammer held motionlessly against the nailhead will not do so. Heat is a form of energy, since it will expand steam that will force wheels into motion that can then do work. Electricity, magnetism, sound, and light can be made to perform work and are forms of energy. The forms of energy are so many and so various that scientists were eager to find some rule that covered them all and would therefore serve as a unifying bond. ING STRANDS OF THE ATOM AND OF ELECTRICITY IT IS TIME TO TURN TO THE THIRD STRAND ENERGY TO PHYSICISTS THE CONCEPT OF WORK IS THAT OF EXERTING A FORCE ON A BODY AND MAKING IT MOVE THROUGH SOME DISTANCE TO LIFT A WEIGHT AGAINST THE PULL OF GRAVITY IS WORK TO DRIVE A NAIL INTO WOOD AGAINST THE FRICTION OF ITS FIBRES IS WORK ANYTHING CAPABLE OF PERFORMING WORK IS SAID TO POSSESS ENERGY FROM GREEK WORDS MEANING WORK WITHIN THERE ARE VARIOUS FORMS OF ENERGY ANY MOVING MASS POSSESSES ENERGY BY VIRTUE OF ITS MOTION THAT IS A MOVING HAMMER WILL DRIVE A NAIL INTO WOOD WHILE THE SAME HAMMER HELD MOTIONLESSLY AGAINST THE NAIL HEAD WILL NOT DO SO HEAT IS A FORM OF ENERGY SINCE IT WILL EXPAND STEAM THAT WILL FORCE WHEELS INTO MOTION THAT CAN THEN DO WORK ELECTRICITY MAGNETISM SOUND AND LIGHT CAN BE MADE TO PERFORM WORK AND ARE FORMS OF ENERGY THE FORMS OF ENERGY ARE SO MANY AND SO VARIOUS THAT SCIENTISTS WERE EAGER TO FIND SOME RULE THAT COVERED THEM ALL AND WOULD THEREFORE SERVE AS A UNIFYING BOND
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb
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