408 



RECENT PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. 



Larger condensing plates admit of a greater condensation of elec- 

 tricity than smaller ones, as Munk af J-^osenschold, has shown. 



Experiments Avere made with plates 52 lines in diameter, under 

 circumstances as near as possible the same as in the above series, that 

 is the connexion of the collector was the same in both cases. Only 

 the diminution of the electrical density was observed which took place 

 at the end of the normal connecting wire (at the knob C?) on the 

 approach of the condenser. In the following table the results obtained 

 with the small plates are compared with those of the larger ones. 



Thus it is seen that the density of the electricity on the normal con- 

 ductor of the small plates is not so much diminished by the proximity 

 of the condenser as by the use of the larger plates, and consequently 

 that in condensing with large plates, a greater accumulation of elec- 

 tricity is possible on the back surface of the collector itself than in the 

 use of small plates. 



The density of the electricity on the collector plate also depends 

 upon the manner in which conducting connexion is made with the 

 condenser. 



In the last experiments made with the small plates, the conducting 

 connexion with the condenser was normal to its plane ; but the con- 

 necting wire was next placed at the side of the projection from the 

 plate, so that it was about five lines distant from the plate and parallel 

 with it. (The arrangement as thus described is not q^uite clear to 

 me. M.) 



The density of the electricity on the normal projection, or handles 

 of the collector, was now observed for different distances of the con- 

 denser, and the results compared with those obtained by the normal 

 conductor of the condenser plate. 



Distance of plates j 2 lines. 



Density, (parallel conductor) | 0. 190 



Density, (normal conductor) i 0.232 



With the conducting wire running parallel to the condenser, a less 

 density is found for each distance of the plates, on the normal con- 

 ductor of the collector plate, than when the conductor of the con- 

 denser plate is normal ; consequently the conductor of the condenser 

 plate being parallel, the condenser is susceptible of a greater accumu- 

 lation of electricity than when the conductor is normal. 



Biess next sought to determine the quantity of electricity disguised 

 on the condenser plate. It is sufiicient here, to present only the 

 results of his experiments with the larger condenser. Representing 

 by 1 the quantity of electricity on the collector, the following quan- 



