Experimental Researches in Electricity, Volume 1Faraday, Michael
Science
Experimental Researches in Electricity, Volume 1
Faraday, Michael
Electricity; Electricity -- Early works to 1850
[A] The Lycee, No. 36, for January 1st, has a long and rather
premature article, in which it endeavours to show anticipations by
French philosophers of my researches. It however mistakes the
erroneous results of MM. Fresnel and Ampere for true ones, and then
imagines my true results are like those erroneous ones. I notice it
here, however, for the purpose of doing honour to Fresnel in a much
higher degree than would have been merited by a feeble anticipation of
the present investigations. That great philosopher, at the same time
with myself and fifty other persons, made experiments which the
present paper proves could give no expected result. He was deceived
for the moment, and published his imaginary success; but on more
carefully repeating his trials, he could find no proof of their
accuracy; and, in the high and pure philosophic desire to remove error
as well as discover truth, he recanted his first statement. The
example of Berzelius regarding the first Thorina is another instance
of this fine feeling; and as occasions are not rare, it would be to
the dignity of science if such examples were more frequently
followed.--February 10th, 1832.
80. It also appears capable of explaining fully the remarkable phenomena
observed by M. Arago between metals and magnets when neither are moving
(120.), as well as most of the results obtained by Sir John Herschel,
Messrs. Babbage, Harris, and others, in repeating his experiments;
accounting at the same time perfectly for what at first appeared
inexplicable; namely, the non-action of the same metals and magnets when at
rest. These results, which also afford the readiest means of obtaining
electricity from magnetism, I shall now proceed to describe.
S 4. _Explication of Arago's Magnetic Phenomena._
81. If a plate of copper be revolved close to a magnetic needle, or magnet,
suspended in such a way that the latter may rotate in a plane parallel to
that of the former, the magnet tends to follow the motion of the plate; or
if the magnet be revolved, the plate tends to follow its motion; and the
effect is so powerful, that magnets or plates of many pounds weight may be
thus carried round. If the magnet and plate be at rest relative to each
other, not the slightest effect, attractive or repulsive, or of any kind,
can be observed between them (62.). This is the phenomenon discovered by M.
Arago; and he states that the effect takes place not only with all metals,
but with solids, liquids, and even gases, i.e. with all substances (130.).
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