A History of Science — Volume 3Williams, Henry Smith
History
A History of Science — Volume 3
Williams, Henry Smith
Science -- History
"Two hundred and three feet of copper wire in one length were passed
round a large block of wood; other two hundred and three feet of similar
wire were interposed as a spiral between the turns of the first, and
metallic contact everywhere prevented by twine. One of these helices was
connected with a galvanometer and the other with a battery of a hundred
pairs of plates four inches square, with double coppers and well
charged. When the contact was made, there was a sudden and very slight
effect at the galvanometer, and there was also a similar slight effect
when the contact with the battery was broken. But whilst the voltaic
current was continuing to pass through the one helix, no galvanometrical
appearances of any effect like induction upon the other helix could be
perceived, although the active power of the battery was proved to be
great by its heating the whole of its own helix, and by the brilliancy
of the discharge when made through charcoal.
"Repetition of the experiments with a battery of one hundred and twenty
pairs of plates produced no other effects; but it was ascertained, both
at this and at the former time, that the slight deflection of the needle
occurring at the moment of completing the connection was always in one
direction, and that the equally slight deflection produced when the
contact was broken was in the other direction; and, also, that these
effects occurred when the first helices were used.
"The results which I had by this time obtained with magnets led me
to believe that the battery current through one wire did, in reality,
induce a similar current through the other wire, but that it continued
for an instant only, and partook more of the nature of the electrical
wave passed through from the shock of a common Leyden jar than of that
from a voltaic battery, and, therefore, might magnetize a steel needle
although it scarcely affected the galvanometer.
"This expectation was confirmed; for on substituting a small hollow
helix, formed round a glass tube, for the galvanometer, introducing
a steel needle, making contact as before between the battery and the
inducing wire, and then removing the needle before the battery contact
was broken, it was found magnetized.
"When the battery contact was first made, then an unmagnetized needle
introduced, and lastly the battery contact broken, the needle was found
magnetized to an equal degree apparently with the first; but the poles
were of the contrary kinds."(3)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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