416 OHM ON THE GALVANIC CIKCUIT. 



Avhich leaves the absolute magnitude of the lines \, x', x" un- 

 certain, so that the magnitudes A, ?J, x" shall not be merely 

 proportional to the said quotients, but shall be likewise equal 

 to them, and henceforth vary this limitation in accordance with 

 the meaning of the expression " reduced lengths," the first of 

 the two preceding equations becomes 



which gives the following generally : The magnitude of the cur- 

 rent in any homogeneous portion of the circuit is equal to the 

 quotient of the difference between the electrical forces present 

 at the extremities of this portion divided by its reduced length. 

 This expression for the forces of the current will be continued 

 to be employed subsequently. The second of the former equa- 

 tions passes, by the adopted change, into 



which is generally true, and already reveals the equality of the 

 force of the current at all parts of the circuit ; in words it may 

 be thus expressed : The force of the current in a galvanic circuit 

 is directly as the sum of all the tensions, and inversely as the 

 entire reduced length of the circuit, bearing in mind that at 

 present by reduced length is understood the sum of all the quo- 

 tients obtained by dividing the actual lengths corresponding to 

 the homogeneous parts by the product of the corresponding con- 

 ductibilities and sections. 



From the equation determining the force of the current in a 

 galvanic circuit in conjunction with the one previously found, 

 by which the electric force at each place of the circuit is given, 

 may be deduced with ease and certainty all the phaenomena be- 

 longing to the galvanic circuit. The former I had already some 

 time ago derived from manifoldly varied experiments* with an 

 apparatus which allows of an accuracy and certainty of mea- 

 surement not suspected in this department ; the latter expresses 

 all the observations pertaining to it, which already exist in 

 great number, with the greatest fidelity, which also continues 

 where the equation leads to results no longer comprised in the 

 circle of previously published experiments. Both proceed un- 

 interruptedly hand in hand with nature, as I now hope to 



* Schweiggei's Jahrbueh, 1826, part 2. 



