CHAITEK III. 



TRANSMISSION OK THE IONIZED EMANATION OF PHOSPHORUS THROUGH AIR IN THE 



ABSENCE OF AN ELECTRIC 1-TELD. 



1. Introductory.— For reasons of both theoretical aud practical inipoi't, it is 

 next necessary to ascertain the precise conditions under which the phosphorus 

 nucleus vanishes on passing through tubes at a definite velocity ; oi' in general on 



Fig. I. 



^ 



T 



>^ 



c 



/' 



r- ■ ' ^ 1 



F 



FjG. I. — Color Tube and Absorption Tube. Scale j'j. 



being retained in any vessel or put in contact with any bai'i-ier in a definite way, 

 for a definite time. The experiments of the present paper thus I'elate to the 

 absoi'ption ' of condensation producing atmosphei'ic nuclei by surfaces or by sus- 

 pended particles. They show, I think, that such absorption takes place as thouo-h 

 each nucleus of a neai'ly saturated region travelled in the entiie absence of an 

 electric field, with a velocity of about 3 millims. per second ; or if it be put i-oughly 

 that -^ of the total number travel in a given cardinal direction, as though each 

 nucleus had a velocity of about a centim. per second. 



'Cf. Phil. Magazine, (6), vol. II., p. 40, 1901 ; Am. Journ. Sci., (4), xi., p. 237, 1901 ; Science, 

 xi., p. I, 1900. 



33 



