Experimental Researches in Electricity, Volume 1Faraday, Michael
Science
Experimental Researches in Electricity, Volume 1
Faraday, Michael
Electricity; Electricity -- Early works to 1850
399. Other substances, which could not be melted on glass, were fused by
the lamp and blowpipe on platina connected with one pole of the battery,
and then a wire, connected with the other, dipped into them. In this way
chloride of sodium, sulphate of soda, protoxide of lead, mixed carbonates
of potash and soda, &c. &c., exhibited exactly the same phenomena as those
already described: whilst liquid, they conducted and were decomposed;
whilst solid, though very hot, they insulated the battery current even when
four troughs were used.
400. Occasionally the substances were contained in small bent tubes of
green glass, and when fused, the platina poles introduced, one on each
side. In such cases the same general results as those already described
were procured; but a further advantage was obtained, namely, that whilst
the substance was conducting and suffering decomposition, the final
arrangement of the elements could be observed. Thus, iodides of potassium
and lead gave iodine at the positive pole, and potassium or lead at the
negative pole. Chlorides of lead and silver gave chlorine at the positive,
and metals at the negative pole. Nitre and chlorate; of potassa gave
oxygen, &c., at the positive, and alkali, or even potassium, at the
negative pole.
[Illustration]
401. A fourth arrangement was used for substances requiring very high
temperatures for their fusion. A platina wire was connected with one pole
of the battery; its extremity bent into a small ring, in the manner
described by Berzelius, for blowpipe experiments; a little of the salt,
glass, or other substance, was melted on this ring by the ordinary
blowpipe, or even in some cases by the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, and when the
drop, retained in its place by the ring, was thoroughly hot and fluid, a
platina wire from the opposite pole of the battery was made to touch it,
and the effects observed.
402. The following are various substances, taken from very different
classes chemically considered, which are subject to this law. The list
might, no doubt, be enormously extended; but I have not had time to do more
than confirm the law by a sufficient number of instances.
First, _water_.
Amongst _oxides_;--potassa, protoxide of lead, glass of antimony, protoxide
of antimony, oxide of bismuth.
_Chlorides_ of potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, calcium, magnesium,
manganese, zinc, copper (proto-), lead, tin (proto-), antimony, silver.
_Iodides_ of potassium, zinc and lead, protiodide of tin, periodide of
mercury; _fluoride_ of potassium; _cyanide_ of potassium; _sulpho-cyanide_
of potassium.
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