50 ON S °M £ CHEMICAL AGENCIES OF ELECTRICITY. 



VIII. On the relations between the electrical energies of bo- 

 dies, and their chemical affinities. 

 Relations be- A s the chemical attraction between two bodies seems to 



tween tilt"* dt*f*— 



trical energies ^ e destroyed by giving one of them an electrical state dif- 

 of bodies and ferent from that which it naturally possesses ; that is, by- 

 affinities, bringing it artificially into a state similar to the other, so it 

 may be increased by exalting its natural energy. Thus, 

 whilst zinc, one of the most oxidable of the metals, is in- 

 capable of combining with oxigen when negatively electri- 

 fied in the circuit, even by a feeble power ; silver, one of 

 the least oxidable, easily unites to it when positively elec- 

 trified ; and the same thing might be said of other metals. 



Amongst the substances that combine chemically, all 

 those, the electrical energies of which are well known, ex- 

 hibit opposite states ; thus, copper and zinc, gold and 

 quicksilver, sulphur and the metals, the acid and alkaline 

 substances, afford apposite instances ; and supposing per- 

 fect freedom of motion in their particles or elementary mat- 

 ter, they ought, according to the principles laid down, to 

 attract each other in consequence of their electrical powers. 

 In the present state of our knowledge, it would be useless 

 to attempt to speculate on the remote cause of the electric 

 cal energy, or the reason why different bodies, after being 

 brought into contact, should be found differently electrified ; 

 its relation to chemical affinity is, however, sufficiently evi- 

 dent. May it not be identical with it, and an essential pro- 

 perty of matter? 



The coated glass plates of Beccaria strongly adhere to 

 each other when oppositely charged, and retain their charges 

 .on being ^parated. This fact affords a distinct analogy to 

 the subject; d iferent particles in combining must still be 

 supposed to preserve their peculiar states of energy. 



In the present early stage of the investigation, it would be 

 improper to place unbounded confidence in this hypothesis; 

 » . but it seems naturally to arise from the, facts, an,^ to coin- 



cide with the laws of affinity, so ably developed Jay modern 

 chemists ; and -the general application of it may be easily 

 made. 



Supposing two bodies, the particfes of which are in diffe- 

 rent 



