What prevailing, yet ultimately incorrect, scientific concepts did the brothers initially try to align their smoke observations with?
Answer
"Inflammable air" or an "electrophoric fire"
The initial experimentation was not purely empirical observation divorced from contemporary thought; it was an effort to contextualize rising phenomena within the prevailing, albeit imperfect, scientific understanding of the late 18th century. Historical accounts suggest the brothers entertained theories that they were observing a specific gas, perhaps linking their findings to concepts circulating at the time, specifically mentioning terminology like 'inflammable air' or 'electrophoric fire' as possible explanations for the observed lift phenomenon before the true nature of heated air density was grasped.
Related Questions
What did the Montgolfiers initially hypothesize was the active lifting agent based on early smoke containment tests?Which material reportedly offered better containment than paper for a given weight during larger, significant experiments?What specific substance was used by the brothers to join the sheets of paper together in the construction of the envelope?During the critical public unmanned flight in Annonay in June 1783, what weight capacity did the large bag successfully demonstrate?Which three living creatures were included as passengers during the September 1783 tethered biological experiment overseen by the Académie des Sciences?What prevailing, yet ultimately incorrect, scientific concepts did the brothers initially try to align their smoke observations with?On what specific date did Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier conduct the first untethered flight in a Montgolfier balloon?What combination of materials was famously used when constructing one of the Montgolfiers' larger balloons for structural integrity?What concept did the Montgolfiers eventually recognize as the true agent of lift, superseding their initial focus on visible smoke?What was the primary experimental focus during the final, crucial phase involving the manned flight on November 21, 1783?