Ether (Space); Force and energy; Gravitation; Matter
Further, with reference to the identity of electricity and magnetism,
Faraday has conclusively proved their relation to each other; and I
would strongly advise any reader who desires further light on the
subject to carefully read paragraphs 3265-3269 in his _Experimental
Researches_, where he will find experiments which place the identity of
electricity and magnetism beyond the possibility of doubt. In paragraph
3265 he writes: "The well-known relation of the electric and magnetic
forces may be thus stated. Let two rings in planes at right angles to
each other represent them. If a current of electricity be sent round the
ring _E_ in the direction marked, then lines of magnetic force will be
produced. As these rings represent the lines of electro-dynamic force
and of magnetic force respectively, they will serve for a standard of
comparison."
"I have elsewhere called the electric current or the line of
electro-dynamic force an axis of power having contrary forces exactly
equal in amount in contrary directions (517). The line of magnetic force
may be described in precisely the same terms, and these two axes of power
considered as right lines are perpendicular to each other," etc.
[Illustration: Fig: 16.]
Again in 3267 he adds: "Like electric currents or lines of force, or
axes of power when placed side by side attract each other. This is well
known and well illustrated when wires carrying such currents are placed
parallel to each other. But like magnetic axes of power or lines of
force repel each other. The parallel case to that of electric currents
is given by placing two magnetic needles side by side with like poles in
the same direction."
Then in 3268 he shows that these effects are not merely contrasts, but
they are contrasts which coincide when the two axes of power at right
angles to each other are considered. Then in 3269 he adds: "The mutual
relation of the magnetic lines of force and the electric axis of power
has been known since the time of Oersted and Ampère," and further states
he is of the opinion that "the magnetic lines have a physical existence
the same as the electric lines," and having that opinion, asks whether
"the lines have a dynamic condition analogous to the electric axis to
which they are so closely and inevitably associated, or whether they
consist in a state of tension of the Aether round the electric axis, and
may therefore be considered as static in their nature." Thus Faraday
proved the intimate and close relationship that existed between the
electric current and the circles which represent the magnetic force in
association with that current; and, what is more noticeable, he asks
whether such magnetic results are due to a state of tension in the
Aether around the axis of the electric current, evidently being of the
opinion that the Aether played an important part in the phenomena of
magnetism, as well as in electricity, as other parts of his writings
abundantly show.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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