River strata, water sediment and an oblique beam
Soils of the Adige to be bored, sediment settling by weight, and a beam off its centre of gravity
A mixed sheet joining earth-science observation to mechanics. Leonardo notes the soils of the river Adige as strata to be bored, and observes that sediment settles through water faster the heavier it is. The larger diagrams analyse an oblique beam hung off its centre of gravity, whose motion is split between falling toward the centre of the world and righting its own tilt. Further untranscribed geometrical and mechanical sketches fill the page.
On this page
Soils of the Adige to be bored
A stratigraphic sketch records the soils of the river Adige as layers to be bored or drilled. Leonardo notes them as ground to be sampled by boring. It reads as a study of the riverbed's make-up.
Sediment settles faster the heavier it is
An analogous drawing treats the matter that makes water turbid: its descent through the water is more or less rapid according as the particle is more or less heavy. Leonardo ties settling speed to weight. It is a note on suspended sediment.
An oblique beam off its centre of gravity
A beam hung obliquely, away from the centre of its gravity, is analysed with a schema of forces lettered e, r, f, a, g, h, n, c, b, q, p. Leonardo says its motion is turned two ways at once: one part seeks the centre of the world, the other works to undo its obliquity. The drawing separates the competing tendencies.
A second force schema
A further diagram, lettered a, d, c, b, e, continues the analysis of the leaning weight. It supports the reasoning of the adjacent beam study. Only the labels are transcribed.