Notebook on Mechanics and Natural Philosophy (1478-1518) - Page 7

At the top right, a diagram shows three vertical lines, each with a small circular weight attached at a different vertical position.

¶ The impact original: "percussione"; refers to the force with which a moving body strikes another. of a weight will be less in proportion as its motion is slower.

¶ And the motion will be slower in proportion as the descending weight has less effective weight original: "pondo"; the weight of an object as it is modified by its position or the angle of its path., whether it is hindered by a counterweight, or by its slant, or by some other circumstance.

¶ Thus, the weight m, descending along the cord am to the position n, will have less weight than at m, as well as a lesser impact and a slower motion.

¶ The impact of the weight will be less in proportion as its slant is less.
Or you might say, the impact of the weight will be less in proportion as its motion is slower.

¶ The impact of a weight will be less in proportion as its descent is less.
And its descent will be less in proportion as its path is more slanted.
From this, it is concluded that the impact will be less as the line is more slanted; and it will be more slanted as the angle n m o is more obtuse An angle greater than 90 degrees..

The weight m will have a greater slowness of motion as the line m n becomes more slanted.

A series of three diagrams illustrates a mechanical experiment. Each contains a quadrant within a square frame. A cord passes over a pulley at the top left corner (labeled 'o') and connects a hanging weight to a point (labeled 'm') on a rotating radial arm. The three diagrams show the arm at varying angles of descent.

The descending weight m will always have less effective weight as its line of descent is more slanted; and it will have less effective weight in proportion as the weight n is stronger in resisting it, preventing it from descending along the line m n. This is proven by the study of impacts.

Two additional diagrams on the right side of the lower page. The upper one shows a weight (m) on a lever arm connected to a pulley. The lower one depicts a rectangular weight on an inclined plane with geometric labels.

¶ The weight m, descending through a circular motion n m, will have a greater slowness of motion the closer m is to the position d; and this arises because this weight m must have less effective weight the closer it is to d.