404 Mr. W. R. Grove on the Electricity of Flame. 



acidSj which are manufactured, and comparatively expensive 

 materials, for the production of electricity, we could realize the 

 electricity developed by the combustion in atmospheric air, of 

 common coal, wood, fat, or other raw material, we should have 

 at once a fair prospect of the commercial apphcation of electri- 

 city ; but in the experiments I have mentioned, and others of the 

 same class, an electrolyte is a sine qua nan. Hence I was led to- 

 experiment on flame, which appears to me to differ from the 

 above in the absence of an electrolyte ; but M. Matteucci seems, 

 if I rightly read his letter, to regard the steam in the flame as 

 having an electrolytic action, being, in fact, the substitute for 

 the water of the gas battery. Here I to some extent diverge 

 from his views. Water in the liquid state cannot exist in the 

 blowpipe flame, it must be in the state of vapour or gas, and the 

 transfer would not be electrolytic, the which, to my mind at 

 least, involves the idea of a liquid. Vapour is, as I have shown, 

 decomposed by the electric spark, but not, as far as I am aware, 

 by the mere transfer of electricity. 



It would be very hasty to say a thing cannot be because it has 

 not been, but I cannot at present assume theoretically the elec- 

 trolysis of steam, and I believe the general opinion would be 

 against it ; it may be polarized, but not, I think, electrolysed. 



It does not, however, seem to me that this hypothesis is 

 needed; there is throughout the course of flame a chemical 

 action going on, each molecule of carbon or hydrogen is com- 

 bining with a neighbouring molecule of oxygen, and there is 

 nothing which theoretically opposes the supposition that such a 

 chain of chemical action should conduct electricity, even though 

 the gases in a chemically dormant state should not do so. As 

 there is more oxygen at one extremity, more hydrocarbon at the 

 other, there must be, irrespective of the molecular combinations, 

 which do not contribute to the voltaic current, a certain number 

 of particles as to which the chemical action has a definite direc- 

 tion j this, to my mind, should produce an electrical current, 

 which should, as it does in fact within certain limits, increase in 

 intensity with the length of the interposed flame. Flame to me 

 presents a difi^erent medium, electrically viewed, from water or 

 from gas, whether simple, compound or mixed, and this gives it 

 a high interest. 



I will take this opportunity of stating, that with the flame 

 battery which I used for an evening meeting at the Royal Insti- 

 tution, I readily decomposed iodide of potassium, a result I had 

 not obtained when I made my former communication to the 

 Philosophical Magazine. 



I have the honour to remain. Gentlemen, 



Your obedient Servant, 



Etr^tat, Frwioe, Oct. 6, 1854. W. R. Grove. 



