l?

MRS. B.

That is owing to the different specific heat of ice and water. The
capacity of water for caloric being greater than that of ice, more heat
is required to raise its temperature, and therefore the thermometer
rises slower in the water than in the ice.

EMILY.

True; you said that a solid body always increased its capacity for heat
by becoming fluid; and this is an instance of it.

MRS. B.

Yes, and the latent heat is that which is absorbed in consequence of the
greater capacity which the water has for heat, in comparison to ice.

I must now tell you a curious calculation founded on that consideration.
I have before observed to you that though the thermometer shows us the
comparative warmth of bodies, and enables us to determine the same point
at different times and places, it gives us no idea of the absolute
quantity of heat in any body. We cannot tell how low it ought to fall by
the privation of all heat, but an attempt has been made to infer it in
the following manner. It has been found by experiment, that the capacity
of water for heat, when compared with that of ice, is as 10 to 9, so
that, at the same temperature, ice contains one tenth of caloric less
than water. By experiment also it is observed, that in order to melt
ice, there must be added to it as much heat, as would, if it did not
melt it, raise its temperature 140 degrees. This quantity of heat is
therefore absorbed when the ice, by being converted into water, is made
to contain one-ninth more caloric than it did before. Therefore 140
degrees is a ninth part of the heat contained in ice at 30 degrees; and
the point of zero, or the absolute privation of heat, must consequently
be 1260 degrees below 32 degrees.

This mode of investigating so curious a question is ingenious, but its
correctness is not yet established by similar calculations for other
bodies. The points of absolute cold, indicated by this method in various
bodies, are very remote from each other; it is however possible, that
this may arise from some imperfection in the experiments.

CAROLINE.

It is indeed very ingenious--but we must now attend to our present
experiment. The water begins to boil, and the thermometer is again
stationary.

MRS. B.

Well, Caroline, it is your turn to explain the phenomenon.

CAROLINE.

It is wonderfully curious! The caloric is now busy in changing the water
into steam, in which it hides itself, and becomes insensible. This is
another