Verstreute Aufzeichnungen aus Georg Christoph Lichtenbergs Vorlesungen zur Experimental-Physik 1781 (PDF)

Prof. Lichtenbergs Experim[en]ts during his Course of Lectures upon Natural Philosophy11, begun 1st November 1781. (S. 35-36)

No. 1 To show the impenetrability12 of Air & water.

Put a burning Candle upon a piece of Cork, let it swim in a Cylinder filld to 2/3 with water. Take a Smaller Cylinder quite empty, put it inversed over the Candle & press it down to the bottom of the large Cylinder. The water will rise on all sides without the small Cylinder, but nothing Comes in & therfore the Candle goes down always in the Same plane with the brim13 of the stooping14 Cylinder & Continues burning – as long as the phlogiston15 of the inclosed air is sufficient to support the flame. – Here the yielding16 water shows the impenetrability of Air, for otherwise it would rush into the press[e]d down Cylinder et17 if water was penetrable it would receive the Air (without leaving the small Cylinder empty) & mix with the air –

N. 2 The porosity of Matter.

1. A funnel18 of wood without Hole at the bottom was put over an open receiver & tighten’d by a piece of leather between the funnel & the brim of the receiver – As soon as the receiver was emptied by the pump, the water in the funnel pierced the wood & came out like a brush of fine hairs – 2. Quicksilver Squeezed – through thick Leather 3. A glass-Tube with a ball at the end was fill[e]d with water to 3/4, & the remaining 1/4 with alcohol. Wenn the tube was inversed & shaken; the hole mass sunk down & left more than 6 inches empty in the Tube. The reason is that the alcohol was by Shaking push’d into the pores of the water.