ON bilEMECAL AFFINITY., |J 



liut a conjecture, that chemical affinity and electrical at- ch«mical affi- 

 traction are identical forces ; and haa very ingeniously en- "^^y* 

 deavoured to point out the general application of the prin- 

 ciple. This hypothesis, proposed by its author in the form 

 of a question, has been too hastily admitted by some as 

 an established doctrine; and speculations have been founded 

 On it, which lead to the most extensive and unexpect^ 

 conclusions. 



The precipitate adoption of this hypothesis seems to have Electrical stat^ 



arisen principally from the imperfect and confused notions ^^^ electiical 



, •,• • I • , I energy the 



commonly prevailing m respect to electrical phenomena, same. 



I therefore deem it necessary^ before proceeding to discuss 

 the question proposed by Mr* Davy^ to state such of the 

 principal phenomena of electricity, as may unequivocally 

 define in what sense we are to understand the terms electri- 

 cal state, and electrical energy— terms which will often oc- 

 cur in the following pages; and which are t6 be festeemed 

 aynonimous ; both being employed to denote a certain state 

 •f existence of bodies, in which peculiar phenomena ar^ 

 tvinced. 



Bodies are said to be in different electrical statfcs, or to £)ifferent an<i _ 

 have dissimilar electrical energies, wken they attract each ^*^"*'^**^^*^v 

 •ther: their electrical states or energies are said to be si* * 



milar, when they repel each other. But we are to keep in 

 mind, that these electrical attractions and repulsions arfej in 

 their effects, distinct from the attractions and repulsions, 

 which bodies ordinarily evince. Two cork balls, suspended Actions pro- 

 by silk lines, will indicate attraction or repulsion, accord- ^"^^'^ ^^ '^**'" 

 ingly as they may be sn different or siniilar electrical states; 

 and in either case, the motions arising in the balls will be 

 in direct opposition to such as take place in consequence 

 <if the law of gravitation : — they will be diametrically con* 

 trary to those which appear in the action of the pendu- 

 lum. 



i 



Question was : " Whether are the phenoriiena produced in the deconi- 

 position of bodies by galvanism capable of bein^' explained on the usual 

 principles of chemical atlraciion; or do they seem to establish the 

 theory, that chemical phenomena depend entirely on thf electrical ener- 

 gies ©f the parlicl«s of matter ?'* •■ .'.f 



Whe» 



