Mr. Laming on the primary Forces of Electricity . 493 



quantity of force between the electricity in the sphere and the 

 electricity in the earth ; and the attractive nature of this force 

 was rendered manifest by the immediate descent of the sphere. 



Experiment D. — The preceding experiment was next mo- 

 dified in the following manner. The sphere being kept in a 

 positive state, its distance from the upper plate was so much 

 diminished that the attraction between them failed only a little 

 of counterpoising the united forces of the sphere's attraction 

 for the lower plate and its increased tendency to descend 

 whilst sustaining the plus charge. Under these circumstances, 

 the sphere evinced, of course, a slight tendency to descend ; 

 but on making the charge negative, this tendency was instantly 

 changed for a more powerful one in the opposite direction, 

 and the sphere ascended. 



These experiments have been repeated too frequently for 

 any doubt to remain of their accuracy; and it is thought that 

 they place the lesser electrical attraction beyond the reach 

 of rational controversy. Long-cherished attachments to old 

 and opposite opinions may, perhaps, meet this new fact with 

 hesitation ; but when in the subsequent pages of this paper 

 its consequences shall be disclosed, its claim will, doubtless, 

 be recognised and admitted. 



The major and minor electrical attractions as thus re- 

 presented, I have applied somewhat extensively as prime 

 physical forces; and with a success that could hardly have 

 attended investigations based on erroneous data. I hope 

 hereafter to make this appear, but at present I shall confine 

 the application of the theory to such facts as are commonly 

 understood to appertain to the science of electricity ; com- 

 mencing by showing its sufficiency to elucidate the phaeno- 

 mena attendant on the accumulation of free or plus electri- 

 city in common matter. 



16. We know by facts that free electricity brought into con- 

 tact with an insulated conductor in its natural electrical state 

 may attach itself to it ; by the theory this result cannot be due 

 to the major attraction, for the attraction of the conductor for 

 electricity is definite and already saturated (3.); and it may be 

 due to the minor electrical force, which acting between the elec- 

 tricity natural to the conductor and the free electricity, would 

 tend to accumulate the latter about the centre of gravity of 

 the former. But free electricity in one body is always at- 

 tracted with a great absolute force by the minus matter of 

 some other body compensating it (7.) ; and by Coulomb's 

 law this force is greater as the distance is less : by extreme 

 distance it might of course be so much reduced as to be even 

 inferior to the minor force retaining it; but under ordinary 



