This energy is assumed to be communicated in that form which we shall term "work" energy (§§ [13,] [31]) and which, as a form of energy, will be fully dealt with later. This "work" energy is assumed to be manifested, in the first place, as energy of motion. As already pointed out, no expenditure of energy can be associated with a linear motion of the mass, since that motion is under no restraint, but in virtue of the initial central attraction or gravitative strain, the form of energy first communicated may be that of kinetic energy of rotation. Its transmission to the mass will cause the latter to revolve about some axis of symmetry within itself. Each particle of the mass thus pursues a circular path with reference to that axis, and has a velocity directly proportional to its radial displacement from it.
This energised rotating spherical mass is thus the primal conception of the energy scheme now to be outlined. It will be readily seen that, as a primal conception, it is essentially and entirely natural; so much so, indeed, that any one familiar with rotatory motion might readily predict from ordinary experience the resulting phenomena on which the scheme is, more or less, based.
When energy is applied to the mass, the first phenomenon of note will be that, as the mass rotates, it departs from its originally spherical shape. By the action of what is usually termed centrifugal force, the rotating body will be distorted; it will be flattened at the polar or regions of lowest velocity situated at the extremities of the axis of rotation, and it will be correspondingly distended at the equatorial or regions of highest velocity. The spherical body will, in fact, assume a more or less discoidal form according to the amount of energy applied to it; there will be a redistribution of the original spherical matter; certain portions of the mass will be forced into new positions more remote from the central axis of rotation.
4. The Gravitation Field
These phenomena of motion are the outward evidence of certain energy processes. The distortional movement of the material is carried out against the action and within the field of certain forces which exist in the mass of material in virtue of its gravitative or cohesive qualities. It is carried out also in virtue of the application of energy to the sphere, which energy has been, as it were, transformed or worked down, in the distortional movement, against the restraining action of this gravitation field or influence. The outward displacement of the material from the central axis is thus coincident with a gain of energy to the mass, this gain of energy being, of course, at the expense of, and by the direct transformation of, the originally applied energy. It is stored in the distorted material as energy of position, potential energy, or energy of displacement relative to the central axis. But, in the distortive movement, the mass will also gain energy in other forms. The movement of one portion of its material relative to another will give rise (since it is carried out under the gravitational influence) to a fractional process in which, as we know from terrestrial experience, heat and electrical energy will make their appearance. These forms of energy will give rise, in their turn, to all the phenomena usually attendant on their application to material. As already pointed out also, the whole mass gains, in varying degree, energy of motion or kinetic energy. It would appear, then, that although energy was nominally applied to the mass in one form only, yet by its characteristic property of transformation it has in reality manifested itself in several entirely different forms. It is important to note the part played in these transformation processes by the gravitation field or influence. Its action really reveals one of the vital working principles of energetics. This principle may be generally stated thus:—
Every Transformation of Energy is carried out by the Action of Energised Matter in the Lines or Field of an Incepting Energy Influence.
In the particular case we have just considered, the incepting field is simply the inherent gravitative property of the energised mass. This property is manifested as an attractive force between portions of matter. This, however, is not of necessity the only aspect of an incepting influence. In the course of this work various instances of transformation will be presented in which the incepting influence functions in a guise entirely different. It is important to note that the incepting influence itself is in no way changed, altered, or transformed during the process of transformation which it influences.
5. Limits of Rotational Energy. Disruptional Phenomena
It is clear that the material at different parts of the rotating spheroid will be energised to varying degrees. Since the linear velocity of the material in the equatorial regions of the spheroid is greater than that of the material about the poles, the energy of motion of the former will exceed that of the latter, the difference becoming greater as the mass is increasingly energised and assumes more and more the discoidal form.
The question now arises as to how far this process of energising the material mass may be carried. What are its limits? The capacity of the rotating body for energy clearly depends on the amount of work which may be spent on its material in distorting it against the influence of the gravitative attraction. The amount is again dependent on the strength of this attraction. But the value of the gravitative attraction or gravitation field is, by the law of gravitation, in direct proportion to the quantity of material or matter present, and hence the capacity of the body for energy depends on its mass or on the quantity of matter which composes it.