Projecticle

PROPOSITION 8 THEOREM 6

If a body in an uniform medium, being uniformly acted upon by the force of gravity, ascends or descends in a right line; and the whole space described be distinguished into equal parts, and in the beginning of each of the parts (by adding or subducting the resisting force of the medium to or from the force of gravity, when the body ascends or descends] you collect the absolute forces; I say, that those absolute forces are in a geometrical progression.

For let the force of gravity be expounded by the given line AC; the force of resistance by the indefinite line AK; the absolute force in the descent of the body by the difference KC: the velocity of the body by a line AP, which shall be a mean proportional between AK and AC, and therefore in a subduplicate ratio of the resistance; the increment of the resistance made in a given particle of time by the lineola KL, and the contemporaneous increment of the velocity by the lineola PQ; and with the centre C, and rectangular asymptotes CA, CH, describe any hyperbola BNS meeting the erected perpendiculars AB, KN, LO in B, N and O.

Because AK is as AP², the moment KL of the one will be as the moment 2APQ of the other, that is, as AP × for the increment PQ of the velocity is (by Law II) proportional to the generating force KC.

Let the ratio of KL be compounded with the ratio KN, and the rectangle KL × KN will become as AP × KC × KN; that is (because the rectangle KC × KN is given), as AP.

But the ultimate ratio of the hyperbolic area KNOL to the rectangle KL × KN becomes, when the points K and L coincide, the ratio of equality.

Therefore that hyperbolic evanescent area is as AP. Therefore the whole hyperbolic area ABOL is composed of particles KNOL which are always proportional to the velocity AP.

Therefore is itself proportional to the space described with that velocity. Let that area be now divided into equal parts as ABMI, IMNK, KNOL, &c., and the absolute forces AC, IC, KC, LC, &c., will be in a geometrical progression. Q.E.D.

By a like reasoning, in the ascent of the body, taking, on the contrary side of the point A, the equal areas ABmi, imnk, knol, &c., it will appear that the absolute forces AC, iC, kC, lC, &c., are continually proportional. Therefore if all the spaces in the ascent and descent are taken equal, all the absolute forces lC, kC, iC, AC, IC, KC, LC, &c., will be continually proportional. Q.E.D.

Corollary 1

Hence if the space described be expounded by the hyperbolic area ABNK, the force of gravity, the velocity of the body, and the resistance of the medium, may be expounded by the lines AC, AP, and AK respectively; and vice versa.

Corollary 2

The greatest velocity which the body can ever acquire in an infinite descent will be expounded by the line AC.

Corollary 3

Therefore if the resistance of the medium answering to any given velocity be known, the greatest velocity will be found, by taking it to that given velocity in a ratio subduplicate of the ratio which the force of gravity bears to that known resistance of the medium.