Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and YoungTimbs, John
Science
Curiosities of Science, Past and Present: A Book for Old and Young
Timbs, John
Science
Professor Andrews, by an ingenious arrangement, is enabled to show that
water is decomposed by the common machine; and by using an electrical
kite, he was able, in fine weather, to produce decomposition, although
so slowly that only 1/700000th of a grain of water was decomposed per
hour. Faraday has proved that the decomposition of one single grain of
water produces more electricity than is contained in the most powerful
flash of lightning.
ELECTRICITY IN BREWING.
Mr. Black, a practical writer upon Brewing, has found that by the
practice of imbedding the fermentation-vats in the earth, and
connecting them by means of metallic pipes, an electrical current
passes through the beer and causes it to turn sour. As a preventive,
he proposed to place the vats upon wooden blocks, or on any other
non-conductors, so that they may be insulated. It has likewise been
ascertained that several brewers who had brewed excellent ale on the
south side of the street, on removing to the north have failed to
produce good ale.
ELECTRIC PAPER.
Professor Schonbein has prepared paper, as transparent as glass and
impermeable to water, which develops a very energetic electric force.
By placing some sheets on each other, and simply rubbing them once or
twice with the hand, it becomes difficult to separate them. If this
experiment is performed in the dark, a great number of distinct flashes
may be perceived between the separated surfaces. The disc of the
electrophorus, placed on a sheet that has been rubbed, produces sparks
of some inches in length. A thin and very dry sheet of paper, placed
against the wall, will adhere strongly to it for several hours if the
hand be passed only once over it. If the same sheet be passed between
the thumb and fore-finger in the dark, a luminous band will be visible.
Hence with this paper may be made powerful and cheap electrical
machines.
DURATION OF THE ELECTRIC SPARK.
By means of Professor Wheatstone’s apparatus, the Duration
of the Electric Spark has been ascertained not to exceed the
twenty-five-thousandth part of a second. A cannon-ball, if illumined
in its flight by a flash of lightning, would, in consequence of the
momentary duration of the light, appear to be stationary, and even the
wings of an insect, that move ten thousand times in a second, would
seem at rest.
VELOCITY OF ELECTRIC LIGHT.
On comparing the velocities of solar, stellar, and terrestrial light,
which are all equally refracted in the prism, with the velocity of the
light of frictional electricity, we are disposed, in accordance with
Wheatstone’s ingeniously-conducted experiments, to regard the lowest
ratio in which the latter excels the former as 3:2. According to the
lowest results of Wheatstone’s apparatus, electric light traverses
288,000 miles in a second. If we reckon 189,938 miles for stellar
light, according to Struve, we obtain the difference of 95,776 miles as
the greater velocity of electricity in one second.
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