Spencer Heath Archive

Item 42

Penciled by Heath on the same lined, notebook paper as Items 40 and 41, suggesting that the three are related. If I were doing this again, I would make them all one item.

April 24, 1961

 

Original is in envelope with item 41

 

 

Let us begin with a simple, typical physical event.

     A number of units of mass (or force) each having at least one unit of motion. Call this number g (for grams).

     A number of units of motion (or length) each having one unit of time. Call this number c (for centimeters) per unit of time, velocity

     A number of units of time (or interval or succession, proceeding). Call this number s (for seconds).

     Let these three represent the three-fold numerical composition of a typical event.

     The first two, taken together, g times c, will represent a numerical quantity of ergs (e) as work, energy or action, e, per unit of time — energy rate — momentum.

     The number of mass units per centimeter times the number of centimeters per second (velocity) is the total number of mass-motion units, ergs per unit of time – momentum. The momentum times the number of time units involved in the event gives the total number of mass-motion units (ergs) comprising the process, the proceeding, of the event.

     Thus the ratio between the number of mass units, grams, and the number of motion units per second determines the composition, character and specific quality of the event, and the number of time units through which it proceeds determines the over-all dimension or magnitude, the number of gram-centimeters, ergs, of work, energy or action involved in the event.

     The specific quality of the event is fixed not by any quantity or number (alone) but by the ratio, the proportion, between two numbers viz, the number of mass units, grams, and the number of motion units, centimeters, per second, whereas the magnitude of the event is fixed and determined by the number of time units, seconds, through which it proceeds.

     Now, it is known that mass and motion are discontinuous, that they manifest themselves in discrete indivisible units which give rise to numbers the ratios between which fix the rationality, the uniquely understandable rationale, manner, mode or form in which through successive units of time it proceeds.

     The number of time units through which a specific event, composed of two numbers of unlike units, mass per centimeter and centimeters per unit of time in a given ratio, proceeds is called the duration of the event; and the number of times that the event proceeds, occurs or goes forward or acts during a single unit, second, of time is called its frequency.

 

                                          /Breaks off/