1897.] HOUSTON, KENNELLY — THE PATH OF A CURRENT. 161 



site direction, as in Figs. 21 and 22. The electric flux is bent from 

 the perpendicular in the direction of motion, as represented in 

 exaggeration at Fig. 24. Consequently, the metre .blocks are sub- 

 jected to a process of attenuation or decay, by throwing off attenu- 

 ated electric flux as they advance, the straggling flux so thrown off 

 immediately commencing to rush backwards with the velocity of 

 light in the medium as represented by the arrows Ui u\. The 

 metre blocks, therefore, lose definition as they advance, becoming 

 weaker and weaker, the energy being lost into the conductor and 

 into straggling flux. If the wires conduct sufficiently imperfectly, 

 the two metre blocks may be completely absorbed before they reach 

 the terminals of the line, the degree of attenuation depending 

 entirely upon the degree of imperfection in conducting power, for 

 a given electric cable; /. e., a given geometrical distribution of in- 

 sulating medium. The fact of imperfect conduction, may be rep- 

 resented roughly by supposing that the flux, instead of slipping 

 freely along the surface of the conductor, becomes entangled in 

 the surface of the same, and friction between the base of the mov- 

 ing flux and the surface of the wire detaches some of the flux and 

 leaves the detritus in the pathway. 



Fig. 23 



p^^ff— f^m_ p 



FiQ 24 



.--— ^"-^ ^^^y^rrrt^- "■■..•......•■•■frrr r: ^ ai ''' n 



•°- ^_ l .>tu^w^v;:,-x'--r- jc";::.".- :^^^ ^ .-v^^ 



^ ^ ^ ._^._. * ~ iiumi:- ■..■■■.;...>. .-^iUU v ''' . ^ ^-^ . ____ ^ 



Fiq 26 

 C 



u, u^ U;. g^ TV 



D 



Figs. 23-25. — Movement of Electric Flux in Cable of Perfect Insulation and Im- 

 perfect Conduction. 



Fig. 25, represents the condition of attenuation at a later stage. 



