426 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



contained in the silver ion carrying the same quantity of electricity. 

 Part of this material would be in the form of oxide, and would therefore 

 cause dark spots on the surface of the kathode, — spots which have 

 actually been noticed by other experimenters. 



This interpretation serves to explain also the very high results ob- 

 tained by Lord Rayleigh in the presence of argentic acetate. The 

 possibility of forming slightly dissociated acetic acid would prevent any 

 considerably accumulation of ionized hydrogen, and the oxide-complex 

 would grow in concentration without hindrance. This explanation 

 seems more plausible than the provisional one suggested by Lord Ray- 

 leigh, — namely, that the acetate itself might be carried down with the 

 silver. 



In order to submit these interpretations to the test of experiment, 

 electrolyses were conducted with solutions saturated with argentic oxide. 

 Kahle, Patterson and Guthe, and others, have likewise carried out such 

 electrolyses, showing that the deposit is as a matter of fact too great ; but 

 our trial is easier to interpret, because by means of the porous cup all 

 anode complications were excluded, and the result of experiment gives 

 the effect of argentic oxide alone. 



Three trials were made, in which a given current of 0.25 ampere as 

 usual was run first through a standard porous cup voltameter, and then 

 through a cell precisely similar except that the kathode solution in the 



latter was saturated with the argentic oxide, 

 tains the results : — 



TABLE V. 



The following table con- 



Standaed vs. Standard saturated with Ag 2 0. 



The solution after boiling with silver oxide thus really contains, there- 

 fore, some ion heavier than Ag + . Since this has been formed directly 



