Now, when the C3 tuning fork has been vibrating for some time, but still sounding audibly, Prof. Carter determined that its amplitude of stroke was only the 1/17000 of an inch, or its velocity of motion was at the rate of 1/33 of an inch in one second, or one inch in 33 seconds (over half a minute), or less than one foot in one hour.
Assuming one prong to weigh two ounces, we have a two-ounce mass moving 1/17000 of an inch with a velocity of 1/33 of an inch in one second. The prong, then, has a momentum or can exercise an amount of energy equivalent to 1/200 of an ounce, or can overcome the momentum of 1,000 molecules.
It would be difficult to discover not only how a locust can expend sufficient energy to impart to molecules of the air, so as to set them in a forced vibration, and thus enable a pulse of the energy imparted to control the motion of the supposed molecules of the air for a mile in all directions, but also to estimate the amount of energy the locust must expend.
According to the wave theory, a condensation and rarefaction are necessary to constitute a sound wave. Surely, if a condensation is not produced, there can be no sound wave! We have then no need to consider anything but the condensation or compression of the supposed air molecules, which will shorten the discussion. The property of mobility of the air and fluidity of water are well known. In the case of water, which is almost incompressible, this property is well marked, and unquestionably would be very nearly the same if water were wholly incompressible. In the case of the air, it is conceded by Tyndall, Thomson, Daniell, Helmholtz, and others that any compression or condensation of the air must be well marked or defined to secure the transmission of a sound pulse. The reason for this is on account of this very property of mobility. Tyndall says: "The prong of the fork in its swift advancement condenses the air." Thomson says: "If I move my hand vehemently through the air, I produce a condensation." Helmholtz says: "The pendulum swings from right to left with a uniform motion. Near to either end of its path it moves slowly, and in the middle fast. Among sonorous bodies which move in the same way, only very much faster, we may mention tuning forks." Tyndall says again: "When a common pendulum oscillates, it tends to form a condensation in front and a rarefaction behind. But it is only a tendency; the motion is so slow, and the air so elastic, that it moves away in front before it is sensibly condensed, and fills the space behind before it can become sensibly dilated. Hence waves or pulses are not generated by the pendulum." And finally, Daniell says: "A vibrating body, before it can act as a sounding body, must produce alternate compressions and rarefactions in the air, and these must be well marked. If, however, the vibrating body be so small that at each oscillation the surrounding air has time to flow round it, there is at every oscillation a local rearrangement—a local flow and reflow of the air; but the air at a distance is almost wholly unaffected by this."
Now, as Prof. Carter has shown by experiment that a tuning fork while still sounding had only an amplitude of swing of 1/17000 of an inch, and only traveled an aggregate distance of 1/33 of an inch in one second, or one inch in 33 seconds, surely such a motion is neither "swift," "fast," nor "vehement," and is unquestionably much "slower" than the motion of a pendulum. We have only to consider one forward motion of the prong, and if that motion cannot condense the air, then no wave can be produced; for after a prong has advanced and stopped moving (no matter for how short a time), if it has not compressed the air, its return motion (on the same side) cannot do anything toward making a compression. If one such motion of 1/17000 of an inch in 1/512 of a second cannot compress the air, then the remaining motions cannot. There is unquestionably a "union limit" between mobility and compressibility, and unless this limit is passed, mobility holds sway and prevents condensation or compression of the air; but when this limit is passed by the exercise of sufficient energy, then compression of the air results. Just imagine the finger to be moved through the air at a velocity of one foot in one hour; is it possible that any scientist who considers the problem in connection with the mobility of the air, could risk his reputation by saying that the air would be compressed? Heretofore it was supposed that a præong of a tuning fork was traveling fast because it vibrated so many times in a second, never stopping to think that its velocity of motion was entirely dependent upon the distance it traveled. At the start the prong travels 1/20 of an inch, but in a short time, while still sounding, the distance is reduced to 1/17000 of an inch. While the first motion was quite fast, about 25 inches in a second, the last motion was only about 1/33 of an inch in the same time, and is consequently 825 times slower motion. The momentum of the prong, the amount of work it can do, is likewise proportionately reduced.
Some seem to imagine, without thinking, that the elasticity of the air can add additional energy. This is perfectly erroneous; for elasticity is a mere property, which permits a body to be compressed on the application of a force, and to be dilated by the exercise of the force stored up in it by the compression. No property of the air can impart any energy. If the momentum of a molecule or a series of molecules extending in all directions for a mile is to be overcome so as to control the character of the movements of the molecules, then sufficient external energy must be applied to accomplish the task: and when we think that one cubic inch of air contains 3,505,519,800,000,000,000 molecules, to say nothing about the number in a cubic mile, which a locust can transmit sound through, we are naturally compelled to stop and think whether the vibrations of supposed molecules have anything or can have anything to do with the transference of sound through the air.
If control was only had of the distance the vibrating molecule travels from its start to the end of its journey, then only the intensity of the sound would be under subjection; but if at every infinitesimal instant control was had of its amplitude of swing, then the character, timbre, or quality of the sound is under subjection. It is evident, then, that the blows normally given by one molecule to another in their supposed constant bombardment must not be sufficient to alter the character of vibration a molecule set in oscillation by a sounding body must maintain, to preserve the timbre or quality of the sound in process of transmission; for if any such alteration should take place, then, naturally, while the pitch, and perhaps intensity, might be transmitted, the quality of the sound would be destroyed.
Again, it is certain that no molecule can perform two sets of vibrations, two separate movements, at the same time, any more than it can be in two places at the same time.
When a band of music is playing, the molecule is supposed to make a complex vibration, a resultant motion of all acting influences, which the ear is supposed to analyze. It remains for the mathematician to show how a molecule influenced by twenty or more degrees of applied energy, and twenty or more required number of frequences of vibration at the same time, can establish a resultant motion which will transmit the required pitch, intensity, and timbre of each instrument.
When a molecule is acted on by various forces, a resultant motion is unquestionably produced, but this would only tend to send the molecule forward and back in one direction, and, in fact, a direction it might have taken in the first place if hit properly.