Voltaic Batteries, S^c. 143 



with the acid mixture of the first strength ; but it will be ob- 

 served that this difference is progressively less as the mixture 

 increases in strength. With the second mixture the differ- 

 ence is about 41 to 1 ; with the third it is 4 to 1 ; and with 

 the fourth it is 3f to one nearly — showing that the stronger 

 the acid, or the greater its density, or the greater the activity 

 of the generating agents, the less marked are the effects, in 

 decreased action, caused by the difference in the relative di- 

 stance of the two plates. 



105. Again, it is observable that the decrease in action oc- 

 casioned by increased distance does not proceed at a rate cor- 

 responding to that increase in distance, as the copper plate is 

 removed successively to each position from end to end. The 

 greatest effects of this removal through an equal distance oc- 

 cur in the first two or three positions in every column ; after 

 which the effects of removal are much less marked through- 

 out. 



106. At those positions distinguished by an asterisk, there 

 occurs a slight increase of action compared with the amount 

 immediately preceding it, instead of a decrease as might have 

 l)een expected. A similar anomaly, though not to the same 

 extent, presents itself at several successive positions through- 

 out every column, where the voltaic action appears to al- 

 ternate, or to be suspended between increase and decrease 

 in its amount, compared with the amounts obtained at the ad- 

 jacent positions. Taking the first column by way of example, 

 it will be seen that scarcely in any two instances does the re- 

 moval of the plate through an equal distance produce an equal 

 effect in the resulting action. The difference in effect caused 

 by removing the plate from 8 inches to 10 amounts to 60", 

 whilst that yielded by the change from 10 to 12 amounts only 

 to 25". The following table, derived from the first column above, 

 will serve to show the nature and extent of this alternation 

 more clearly. The first line contains the successive distances 

 to which the plate is removed ; the second, the difference be- 

 tween the amount of decrease obtained at each position and 

 the one preceding it. 



Table (No. 6.) 



107. (Distance of the two plates from one another, by suc- 

 cessive equal steps of two inches each). 



10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 



42, 44. 

 (Amount of decrease resulting from increased distance, ob- 

 tained at each position, compared with the decrease at that 

 immediately preceding). 



