PLACE

, in Philosophy, that part of insinite which any body possesses.

Aristotle and his followers divide Place into External and Internal.

Internal Place, is that space or room which the body contains. And

External Place, is that which includes or contains the body; and is by Aristotle called the first or concave and immoveable surface of the ambient body.

Newton better, and more intelligibly, distinguishes Place into Absolute and Relative.

Absolute and Primary Place, is that part of infinite and immoveable space which a body possesses. And

Relative, or Secondary Place, is the space it possesses considered with regard to other adjacent objects.

Dr. Clark adds another kind of Relative Place, which he calls Rel<*>ively Common Place; and desines it, that part of any moveable or measurable space which a body possesses; which Place moves together with the body.

Place

, Mr. Locke observes, is sometimes likewise taken for that portion of insinite space possessed by the material world; though this, he adds, were more properly called extension. The proper idea of Place, according to him, is the relative position of any thing, with regard to its distance from certain fixed points; whence it is said a thing has or has not changed Place, when its distance is or is not altered with respect to those bodies.

Place

, in Optics, or Optical Place, is the point to which the eye refers an object.

Optic Place of a star, is a point in the surface of the mundane sphere in which a spect<*>tor sees the centre of the star, &c.—This is divided into True and Apparent.

True, or Real Optic Place, is that point of the surface of the sphere, where a spectator at the centre of the earth would see the star, &c.

Apparent, or Visible Optic Place, is that point of the surface of the sphere, where a spectator at the surface of the earth sees the star, &c.

The distance between these two optic Places makes what is called the Parallax.

Place of the Sun, or Moon, or Star, or Planet, in Astronomy, simply denotes the sign and degree of the zodiac which the luminary is in; and is usually expressed either by its latitude and longitude, or by its right ascension and declination.

Place of Radiation, in Optics, is the interval or space in a medium, or transparent body, through which any visible object radiates.

Place

, in Geometry, usually called Locus, is a line used in the solution of problems, being that in which the determination of every case of the problem lies. See Locus, Plane, Simple, Solid, &c.

Place

, in War and Fortification, a general name for all kinds of fertresses, where a party may defend themselves.

Place of Arms, a strong part where the arms &c are deposited, and where usually the soldiers assemble and are drawn up.

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Entry taken from A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary, by Charles Hutton, 1796.

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PINION
PINT
PISCES
PISTOLE
PISTON
* PLACE
PLAFOND
PLAN
PLANE
PLANET
PLANETARIUM