A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments

In this lively series of demonstrations, listeners are guided through the fundamental principles of motion that shaped modern physics. Francis Hauksbee performs hands‑on experiments while William Whiston explains Newton’s three laws, the behavior of falling bodies, and the mechanics of levers, pulleys, and wheels. The sessions reveal how simple devices can illustrate momentum, force resolution, and the power of compound engines.

The program then turns to magnetism, showing how lodestones attract, repel, and guide needles, and introducing the terrella—a spherical model that mimics Earth’s magnetic field. Listeners also explore the nature of light, from the precise law of reflection to refraction through lenses, with demonstrations of Newton’s reflecting telescope and early microscopes. These experiments connect abstract theory to tangible phenomena that still underpin today’s technology.

Presented as a dialogue between experimenter and lecturer, the work captures the curiosity and rigor of early scientific inquiry. Listeners will hear vivid descriptions of apparatus, the careful measurements taken, and the reasoning that turns observation into law. It offers a window into the hands‑on learning that made the Enlightenment’s breakthroughs possible.