On Molecular and Microscopic Science, Volume 1 (of 2)Somerville, Mary
History
On Molecular and Microscopic Science, Volume 1 (of 2)
Somerville, Mary
Matter -- Constitution; Microscopy; Natural history
When the wire was pressed farther into the water a dark space about an
inch in length divided the light into two parts, the positive glow being
sharply defined, the negative glow having an irregular edge. When the
wire had been about three inches deep in the water, the positive and
negative glows became more brilliant, and a single clearly defined
luminous disc burst from the positive side and occupied the middle of
the dark space. When the wire was pressed down till 13 inches of it were
in the water, a second luminous disc travelled from the positive side,
and then the two luminous discs or striæ occupied the dark space at a
little distance from one another. As the wire was pressed more into the
water, three parallel luminous striæ appeared, then four, then five, and
so on till as many as thirteen or fourteen striped the dark central
space. With the full power of the battery, the adjacent disc impinged on
the glow that surrounded the negative ball. This disc was of a pale
green, those adjacent were reddish, while the negative glow was of a
bluish white; minute bright scintillations emanated from the negative
ball, while distinct luminous flash discharges took place through the
striæ. Thus by the amount of resistance introduced into the circuit, the
number of striæ can be regulated, their position fixed, separating or
closing up the dark space between the luminous glows round the balls.
In these experiments there is indication of a force emanating from the
negative wire. The actual disruption of the particles from the negative
terminal also indicates a force, and the disruption is as freely
obtained by the continuous discharge of the battery as it is by the
intermittent discharge of the induction coil. Besides, when Mr. Gassiot
sent discharges from the induction coil through Torricellian vacua, he
several times observed that while a cloud-like discharge issued from the
positive terminal, a long tongue of the most brilliant blue
phosphorescent light emanated from the upper part of the negative
terminal, and a brilliant white tongue of light was also seen close to
the negative wire: so there is reason to believe that force emanates
from both terminals.
Some of the preceding striated discharges ‘present an appearance
somewhat analogous with the stationary undulations (or nodes) which
exist in a column of air when isochronous progressive undulations meet
one another from opposite directions, and on the surface of water by
mechanical impulses similarly interfering with each other.’[11]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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