126 Dr. Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity, 



I have been endeavouring to establish, I will restate them in 

 their simplest form, according to my present belief. The 

 electricity of the voltaic pile (856. note) is not dependent 

 either in its origin or its continuance to the contactof the 

 metals with each other (880. 915.). It is entirely due to che- 

 mical action (882.), and is proportionate in its intensity to the 

 intensity of the affinities concerned in its production (908.); 

 and in its quantity to the quantity of matter which has been 

 chemically active during its evolution (869.)- This definite 

 production is again one of the strongest proofs that the elec- 

 tricity is of chemical origin. 



917. As volta-electro-generation is a case of mere chemical 

 action, so volta-electro-decomposition is simply a case of the 

 preponderance of one set of chemical affinities more powerful 

 in their nature, over another set which are less powerful ; and 

 if the instance of two opposing sets of such forces (891.) be 

 considered, and their mutual relation and dependence borne 

 in mind, there appears no necessity for using, in respect to 

 such cases, any other term than chemical affinity, (though that 

 of electricity may be very convenient,) or supposing any new 

 agent to be concerned in producing the results; for we may 

 consider that the powers at the two places of action are in di- 

 rect communion and balanced against each other through the 

 medium of the metals (891.), fig. 4, in a manner analogous 

 to that in which mechanical forces are balanced against each 

 other by the intervention of the lever (1031.). 



918. All the facts show us that that power commonly called 

 chemical affinity, can be communicated to a distance through 

 the metals and certain forms of carbon ; that the electric cur- 

 rent is only another form of the forces of chemical affinity ; 

 that its power is in proportion to the chemical affinities pro- 

 ducing it; that when it is deficient in force it may be helped by 

 calling in chemical aid, the want in the former being made up 

 by an equivalent of the latter ; that, in other words, the forces 

 termed chemical affinity and electricity are one and the same. 



919. When the circumstances connected with the produc- 

 tion of electricity in the ordinary voltaic circuit are examined 

 and compared, it appears that the source of that agent, always 

 meaning the electricity which circulates and completes the cur- 

 rent in the voltaic apparatus, and gives that apparatus power 

 and character (947- 996.), exists in the chemical action which 

 takes place directly between the metal and the body with 

 which it combines, and not at all in the subsequent action of 

 the substances so produced with the acid present*. Thus, 



• WoUaston, Philosophical Transactions, 1801, p. 427, [or Phil. Mag., 

 vol. xi., p. 206.— Edit.] 



