motion into two—a motion of rotation, and one of revolution.
133. Now, with regard to the earth's rotation, the conversion of the visible energy of this motion into heat is already well recognized. To understand this we have only to study the nature of the moon's action upon the fluid portions of our globe. In the following diagram (Fig. 11) we have an exaggerated representation of this, by which we see that the spherical earth is converted
Fig. 11.
into an elongated oval, of which one extremity always points to the moon. The solid body of the earth itself revolves as usual, but, nevertheless, this fluid protuberance remains always pointing towards the moon, as we see in the figure, and hence the earth rubs against the protuberance as it revolves. The friction produced by this action tends evidently to lessen the rotatory energy of the earth—in other words, it acts like a break—and we have, just as by a break-wheel, the conversion of visible energy into heat. This was first recognized by Mayer and J. Thomson.
134. But while there can be no doubt about the fact of such a conversion going on, the only question is regarding
