494? Mr. Laming on the primary Forces of Electricity, 



circumstances the compensating body is contiguous (generally, 

 the atmosphere) ; and by which the free electricity is attracted 

 to the bounding surfaces of the insulated conductor. 



17. The disparity of the electrical forces seems to be so 

 great, that the minor has very little influence in determining 

 the quantity of free electricity accumulated on different parts 

 of a conductor of irregular figure, as all combinations of con- 

 ductors of dissimilar figures or dimensions may be considered ; 

 that being almost wholly regulated by the major attraction. 



To understand this, let us suppose an insulated conductor 

 to be charged positively and submitted to the sole influence 

 of a compensator whose distance is given. If we conceive its 

 free electricity to have been received in two successive and 

 equal parts, then the retarding force to the first part will have 

 been an unit of major attraction in the compensating body, 

 and the retarding force to the second part three units of major 

 attraction (6.). Now let a second perfectly similar conductor, 

 with a perfectly similar compensator, acting at the same di- 

 stance, be placed in contact with it; if the second conductor 

 have been previously charged to the same extent, the major 

 attraction will not tend to disturb the electrical state of either; 

 but if the second conductor be unelectrified, it will equally 

 divide the charge with the first conductor, since the treble 

 amount of retarding force to the second increment of charge 

 thereby becomes reduced from 3 to 1. The same mode of 

 reasoning applies either to any greater number of similar 

 conductors, or to any multiplication of the original charge. 



18. Again, let the plus charge of a body whose compensa- 

 tor is given, be divided into three equal parts; and a second 

 precisely similar body, but having two such compensators, in- 

 stead of one, be brought into momentary communication with 

 it : by the same reasoning that we used in the former case 

 we see that this second body will abstract two thirds of the 

 total charge of the first ; for the retarding force of two of the 

 units of charge will thereby become reduced from 5 + 3 = 8 

 to 1 + 1 =2. 



19. If instead of two compensators the second conductor 

 have only one, but that one at half the original distance, the 

 result will still be the same : that is to say, the second con- 

 ductor will receive two parts and the first conductor retain 

 one part of the free electricity ; for although the retarding 

 force in the second compensator to the action of two units of 

 charge be four times greater than in the last case, the force 

 of those two units on the compensator will be four times 

 greater also. 



20. According to these principles, all insulated conductors 



