Common Science - Carleton Washburne

Nail plug, the, [241]*, [379]*.
Needle, magnetizing of, [192]*, [193]*-195.
Negative charges of electricity, [198]-200.
Neutralization of acids and bases, [360]-364.
Niagara Falls, electricity generated by, [210].
Nickel, an element, [299].
Nickel-plating copper, process of, [336]-339*.
Night, reason for coolness at, [127]-128.
Nitric-acid, etching copper with, [352]*-353;
- action of, on cloth, [354]*.
Nitrogen, an element, [299];
- a non-burning gas, [308];
- used in electric lamps, [317].
Northern Lights, cause of, [193].

Ocean, why salt, [104]-105.
Oil, reason for floating of, [26]-27;
- decreasing of friction by, [53]-54;
- softening due to, [290]-292;
- carbon and hydrogen in crude, [315];
- why water will not put out burning, [317].
Oil heaters, action of, [319].
Orange, litmus test of, [359].
Osmosis, process called, [272]-274.
Osmotic pressure, [272]-273*.
Oxidation, [312]-322.
Oxygen, an element, [293], [299];
- an element of water, [295]-296;
- experiments in getting, from two solids, [305]-308*;
- function of, in burning, [308];
- part taken by, in burning (oxidation), [312]-313;
- released in manufacture of plant food, [333]-335;
- a compound of, an essential in explosives, [347].

Pancakes, made from sour milk, [362].
Paper, carbon and hydrogen in, [315].
Paraffine, production of, [114].
Parallel circuits, [221]-223*.
Peat, carbon and hydrogen in, [315].
Pencils, making arc light with, [233]*-234*.
Periscope experiment, [134]-135*.
Petroleum, gasoline and kerosene distilled from, [114].
Phonograph, working of, [177]-178*.
Phosphorescence, cause of, [341]-342.
Phosphorus, an element, [300];
- meaning of name, [341].
Photographs, process of making, [327]-332*.
Pitch of sound, explanation of, [185]-188*.
Plants, light and the manufacture of food in, [332]-333;
- how oxygen is supplied by, [333]-335.
Plating of metals, [336]-339*.
Platinum, an element, [300].
Poles, positive and negative, [206]-207.
Porcelain, used as insulator, [215].
Positive charges of electricity, [198]-200.
Potassium, experiment with, [304].
Potassium chlorate, an essential in explosives, [347].
Precious stones, formation of, [263]-264.
Prism, refraction of light by, [136]-140*;
- separation of light into rainbow colors by, [162]-163*.

Quicksilver. See Mercury.

Radiation of heat and light, [122]*-128.
Radium, an element, [300].
Rain, [275];
cause of, [278]-280.
Rainbow, making a, on wall, [162]*-163;
- how formed, [170]-171.
Reading glasses, [144]*;
- convex lens in, [150].
Red color of sky at sunset, reason for, [170].
Reflecting telescopes, [157].
Reflection of light, [129]-135*.
Refraction of light, [136]-141*.
Resistance, electrical, [229]-232.
Retina of eye, [151]*, [153].
Reverberation of sound, [183]-185.
Ring around moon, cause of, [131].
Rock candy, how made, [267].
Rubber, used as insulator, [215].
Rusting of iron, [349].

Safety valves on steam boilers, [347].
Salt, reason for, in sea, [104]-105*;
- a compound, [308];
- elements of, [310]-311;
- formed by hydrochloric acid and zinc, [351];
- iron, formed by lemon juice on steel, [353];
- acids and bases turned to water and, by combining, [361]-362.
Salt water, litmus test of, [359].
Samson cells, [204].
Scattering of light (diffusion), [158]-161*.
Seesaw, example of a lever, [57]-58*.
Seltzer siphon, working of, [17].
Ships, reason for floating, [24]*-26.
Shock, electrical, [214]-215.
Short circuits and fuses, [240]-245.
Silver, an element, [300];
- plating of, [339];
- hydrochloric acid test for, [373].
Silver chlorid, formation of, [327].
Sinking and floating, [23]-28*.
Siphon, [18]*.
Sky, reason why blue, [169];
- why red at sunset, [170].
Smoke, consistency of, [318]-319.
Snow, [275];
formation of, [285]-286.
Snowflakes, [97], [286]*.
Soap, how made, [357]-358.
Soda water, how made, [365]-366.
Sodium, experiment with, [304].
Softening due to oil or water, [290]-292.
Soil, litmus test of, [359].
Solution, defined, [261];
- difference between emulsion and, [263];
- a mixture and not a compound, [309];
- chemical change helped by, [349].
Sound, cause of, [174];
- rate of speed, [181]-182;
- action of, in echoes, [183]-185*;
- pitch of, [185]-188.
Sour milk, litmus test of, [359];
- neutralization of, by baking soda, [362].
Sourness, taste of, caused by acids, [353], [354]-355.
Spectroscope, use of the, [172].
Spectrum, the, [172].
Spring water, carbon dioxid in, [366].
Stability, [29]-34.
Starch, iodine test for, [373]-374.
Stars, twinkling of, [141];
- how to tell of what made, [171]-172.
Static electricity, [196]-202*.
Steam, reason for force exerted by, [110];
- geysers and volcanoes caused by, [110];
- real, not visible, [112] n.
Steel, generally an alloy, [310].
Stereopticons, lenses of, [148].
Storage battery, [206], [207]*;
- action of electricity in, [339].
Stoves, electric, [230], [232].
Street car, electric motor of, [255]-257.
Suction pump, [19]*.
Sugar, making of, by plants, [332]-333;
- litmus test of, [359].
Sulfur, an element, [300].
Sulfuric acid, action of, on cloth, [354];
- litmus test of, [359].
Sun, radiation of heat and light from the, [122]-128;
- how to tell of what made, [171]-172.
Sunbeams, explanation of, [131].
Sweat glands, function of, [291].

Tanning, process of, [327].
Telegraph apparatus, [247]-252*, [380]-381*.
Telegraph code, [253].
Telephone, working of, [253]-255.
Telescopes, [156]*, [157];
- how made, [157];
- reflecting, [157].
Temperature, finding the, by reading a thermometer, [90]-91.
Thermometer, the, [89]*-91*.
Thermos bottle, how made, [126]-127*.
Thunder, cause of, [200]-201.
Tin, an element, [300].
Tin salt, poisonous, [353].
Toasters, electric, [230], [232].
Tomatoes, use of soda to neutralize acid of, [362]-363.
Tungsten, in incandescent lamps, [231].
Tuning-fork experiments, [181]*, [186]-187*.
Twinkling of stars, cause of, [141].

"Up," meaning of word, [4].

Vacuum, defined, [11];
- reason for, in electric lamp, [12]*, [317];
- use of, in manufacture of thermos bottles, [126]-127*;
- impossibility of producing sound in, [176]-177.
Valves, safety, on boilers, [347].
Vaseline, production of, [114].
Vibrations, of air, [174]-181*;
- pitch due to rapidity of, [186].
Vinegar, litmus test of, [359];
- neutralization of lye by, [363].
Violin, tuning of, [187].
Volcanoes, cause of, [110];
- explosions and, [346]*.
Volume, elasticity of, [86]-87.

Washing soda, a common base, [356];
- litmus test of, [359].
- gurgling of, when poured from bottle, [13];
- experiment with, to show centrifugal force, [73]-74;
- used for making thermometer, [90]*-92;
- expansion of, when frozen, [98];
- evaporation of, [100]-106;
- action of, in geysers and volcanoes, [110];
- absorption of light by, [169]-170;
- as conductor of electricity, [216];
- use of, for generating electricity, [256]-257;
- softening due to, [290]-292;
- elements of, [294]-297;
- a compound and not a mixture, [308];
- formed by burning fuel, [316];
- why fire is put out by, but not burning oil, [317];
- combining of carbon dioxid and, by plants, [332]-333;
- rusting of iron by, [349];
- acids and bases turned to salt and, by combining, [361]-362.
Water, seeks its own level, [6]-10;
Wear, a result of friction, [53].
Weather, forecasting of, [282]-285.
Weight, center of, [30]-33*.
Wet battery, [204]-205*.
White, a combination of all colors, [162].
Winds, cause of, [20]-21.
Winter, reason for cold in, [127]-128.
Wiring for arc lamps, [236]-239.
- carbon and hydrogen in, [315].
Wood, poor conductor of heat, [118];