Falling bodies keep equal intervals; a roof section of the Castle
The law of successive descent, with a red-chalk roof over the pulpit of the Castle
Leonardo argues that if many bodies of equal weight and shape are released one after another from the same height at equal times, so that one is always in the air, their intervals remain equal. Reasoning that each degree of motion acquires a degree of velocity, he tabulates the descent from point to point (a to g) as taking 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 times, so that the excesses are equal and as many bodies reach the ground as leave the top. Above, a red-chalk drawing gives a section of a roof, captioned the covering of the pulpit of the Castle.
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Bodies dropped in succession keep equal intervals
If many bodies of equal weight and shape are released one after another from the same height at equal times, with one always in the air, their intervals stay equal. As many touch the ground as depart from above, in equal time.
Table of descent intervals a-g (6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
A column pairs the points a, b, c, d, e, f, g with the numbers of times each successive descent takes: a to b in 6, b to c in 5, c to d in 4, d to e in 3, e to f in 2, f to g in 1. The equal differences express the uniform gain of velocity.
Section of the Castle pulpit roof
At the top, a red-chalk drawing shows the section of a roof, captioned as the covering of the pulpit (predica) of the Castle. The framing is drawn as a pitched, braced timber structure.