THE SPLASH OF A DROP AND ALLIED PHENOMENA. 



199 



begiu to fall at the same inonieiit. Before, however, the drop reaches 

 the surface ou which it is to iinpiiigfe, the timing sphere strikes a plate, 

 D, attached to one end of a third lever pivoted at Q, and thus breaks 

 the contact between a platinum wire bound to the underside of this 

 lever and another wire crossing- the first at right angles. This action 

 breaks an electric current which has traversed a second electro-magnet, 



iiii " 



Fig. 1.— Electric tlasli apparatns. 



F (fig. 2), and releases the iron armature jST of the lever N P, pivoted 

 at P, thus enabling a strong spiral spring, G, to lift a stout brass wire, 

 L, out of mercury, and to break at the surface of the mercury a strong 

 current that has circulated round the primary circuit of a IJuhmkorft's 

 induction coil; this produces at the surface of the mercury a bright 

 self-induction spark in the neighborhood of the splash, and it is by this 



