60 Mr. C. Binks on Electricity, 



tery, and of the water or of the muriatic acid which such bat- 

 tery decomposed, the quantities were, for the first, 32, for the 

 second, 9, and for the last 37, or exactly as their equivalent 

 numbers. 



22. The distinguished author of this discovery subsequently 

 extended this principle into an inquiry as to the origin and 

 nature of this voltaic action — into an estimate of the absolute 

 quantity of electricity associated with the particles of matter, 

 and also into an estimate of the comparative quantities of 

 electricity evolved by different agencies, &c.; but the general 

 results which I have more particularly in view at this moment 

 are those from which it was deduced that chemical and elec- 

 trical action, if not identical, are co-existent, and equal in 

 quantity and effect. 



23. The application which I make of this principle to the 

 present investigation is exceedingly simple and obvious in its 

 nature : the elements engaged in the phaenomena now exa- 

 mined are, water, sulphuric acid, zinc, and copper. Since the 

 last I'emains unchanged, or subserves its purpose best when 

 unchanged, it may be considered as a mere instrument en- 

 gaged in aiding the chemical and physical changes which take 

 place among the others, through whose mutual action the 

 electricity itself seems to be evolved. To ascertain the quan- 

 tity of electricity so evolved, it is only necessary to ascertain 

 (on the principle just stated) the quantity of matter employed 

 in its production ; and this can be done by finding the quan- 

 tity of zinc expended or of sulphuric acid, or of water decom- 

 posed, or the quantity of hydrogen evolved, or of sulphate of 

 zinc finally produced. But as chemistry has already deter- 

 mined the relations of these substances one to another, it is 

 only necessary to find the quantity of any one of them, to know 

 the quantity of every other. In the present instance it is most 

 expedient to find the quantity of the zinc so expended by 

 weighing the zinc plate both before and after the operation, 

 or to measure the quantity of the evolved hydrogen ; or, if it 

 be the effect of the power of a compound battery which is to 

 be found, then, to measure the quantity of both the gases 

 produced by its action, a contrivance adapted to the last pur- 

 pose constituting one of the forms of the voltameter of 

 Faraday. 



24. The phaenomena examined into in the first part of the 

 present paper, are those resulting solely from the action of 

 single voltaic arrangements. Let such an elementary arrange- 

 ment, having its plates of a certain size, and placed at a cer- 

 tain relative distance, be acted on by an acid mixture of a 

 certain degree of strength. The amount of action which will 



