. Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal . AA. A piece of ordinary glass test tube. B. A long capillary point. C. A piece of pure silver wire bent in two or three folds before insertion, to give surface, then fused air-tight into the end of the glass tube. D. A similar piece of iron wire. When the tube A A is filled with pure water, and sealed at B, there is a slight oxidation shewn through the first twelve hours, caused by the air absorbed in filling; for this form requires two or three heatings before it is filled. A voltameter with sheathed cop- per poles* and filled with acidulated water, she
. Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal . AA. A piece of ordinary glass test tube. B. A long capillary point. C. A piece of pure silver wire bent in two or three folds before insertion, to give surface, then fused air-tight into the end of the glass tube. D. A similar piece of iron wire. When the tube A A is filled with pure water, and sealed at B, there is a slight oxidation shewn through the first twelve hours, caused by the air absorbed in filling; for this form requires two or three heatings before it is filled. A voltameter with sheathed cop- per poles* and filled with acidulated water, shewed this action when connected with the wires C and D; the bells of hydrogen were seen slowly to rise one by one: after twelve hours no gas could be seen, it continued perfectly inactive for some time. The orifice B was opened, and within twelve hours there was a steady current decom- posing water. As I considered this as the test experiment, I wished to have the electrical force in excess, for which a four-cell battery was constructed, each cell exactly like the one above; these were connected as a four pair series, and a small sheathed glass platina pole voltameter attached. When first made I could, with a magni- fier, detect the slow formation of beads of gas which rose at inter- vals of several minutes each. In twelve hours this action disappear- ed, and the battery remained perfectly inactive for some time ; the atmosphere was admitted by the capillary points, and in six hours the voltameter shewed the passage of a current. The effect increased for nearly two days, when there was, considering the size of the plates, a rapid decomposition in the voltameter; the orifices were now closed. By this time the water in the cells had absorbed a quan- tity of air, which kept the battery in action for six days after the supply from the atmosphere was shut off; but when its oxygen was exhausted the current disappeared, and the battery was again inac- tive. While experimenting with the
Size: 3601px × 1388px
Photo credit: © The Bookworm Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., 1845, bookcentury1800, bookcollectio, bookdecade1840, bookyear1844
