R. W. Fox on Electrical Action. 9 



natural order of their affinities with respect to the atoms a e 9 

 im, and wo, whilst the electric elements at zz, are reversed 

 with respect to e i and m n, the former atoms being made to 

 approximate, and the latter to recede from each other, even- 

 tually giving rise to a semi-revolution of the atoms around 

 their common axes as shown by the arrows. 



The relative position of the different atoms in water and 

 other fluids must, I think, have reference to their comparative 

 weight, or downward tendency. 



Fig. 6. may illustrate this idea, in which a series of atoms 

 of oxygen are placed under a similar series of atoms of hy- 

 drogen ; for they cannot, I conceive, under any circumstances, 

 alternate horizontally with each other. 



It is possible that the state of fluidity may be due to an ex- 

 cess of one of the electric polarities over the other, thereby 

 preventing the atoms from approaching within certain di- 

 stances ot each other. 



Now, if we again refer to fig. 5. the directions of the arrows 

 exhibit a transfer of the hydrogen through the upper portion 

 of the circle, and the oxygen through the lower; because in 

 this case it is assumed that the decomposing surfaces are 

 bounded above, by the atoms of oxygen, and below, by those 

 of hydrogen. They cannot, however, in either case be readily 

 carried beyond one half of a revolution, because they would 

 then be respectively opposed by atoms similar to themselves; 

 but the electric elements, on their quitting the atoms, will not 

 be prevented by their polar affinities from completing their 

 revolutions, and returning to their previous direction in readi- 

 ness to renew the operation with other atoms. 



The relative positions which I have supposed the different 

 atoms in fluids to assume, may tend to impart a definite cha- 

 racter to electrical action ; and as it is not easy to imagine that 

 the electric elements will move with an equable velocity du- 

 ring the whole of their revolution, if they are charged with 

 atoms of matter during the performance of one half of it only, 

 or that the time required to combine with, and to disengage 

 themselves from the atoms will be precisely the same, it seems 

 to follow as a probable consequence that voltaic electricity 

 may act on magnets by virtue of an excess of force or influ- 

 ence in one direction over another. 



In the case of thermo-electricity, likewise, the time required 

 to disturb and restore the natural arrangements of the elec- 

 tric elements may materially differ. 



On the hypothesis that the magnetic elements Jiave their 

 opposite poles alternating with each other throughout the 

 curves which unite the two ends of a magnet, it is not difficult 



Third Series. Vol. 5. No. 25. July 1 834.. C 



