OHM ON THE GALVANIC CIRCUIT. 419 



r + R 



The intensity of the electricity received by the body will, there- 

 fore, be the more nearly equal to that lohich the circuit possessed 

 at the place of contact before being touched, the smaller R is with 

 respect to r ; it will amount to the half when R = r, and become 

 weaker, as R becomes greater hi comparison with r. Since 

 these changes are merely dependent on the relative mag- 

 nitude of the spaces r and R, and not at all on the qualitative 

 nature of the circuit, they are merely determined by the dimen- 

 sions of the circuit, nay, even by foreign masses brought into 

 conducting connexion with the circuit. If we connect this fact 

 with the theory of the condenser, we arrive at an explanation 

 of all the relations of the galvanic circuit to the condensor, 

 noticed by Jager*, which is perfectly sur}3rising. I content my- 

 self with regard to this point to refer to the memoir itselfj to 

 give room here for the insertion of some new peculiarities of the 

 galvanic circuit. 



The mode of separation of the electricity, within a homo- 

 geneous part of the circuit, is determined by the magnitudes of 

 the dips of the lines F G, HI, K L, (fig. 3,) and there again 



by the magnitudes of the ratios-^-^, — -^, p-^y. But, as 



was already shown, 



GF=^.A, IH' = ^.A', LK' = ^.X"; 

 J-i J-i i-i 



hence it may be seen, without much trouble, that the magnitude 

 of the dip of the line corresponding to any part of the circuit, 

 and representing the separation of the electricity, is obtained 



A 



by multiplying the value -j- by the ratio of the reduced to the 



actual length of the same part. If, therefore, (x) represent the 

 reduced length of any homogeneous part of the circuit and (/) 

 its actual length, the magnitude of the dip of the straight line 

 belonging to this part, and representing the separation of the 

 electricity, is 



L_'(/)- 

 which expression, if we designate by (>') the conductibility, 



* Gilbert's /Innalen, vol. xiii. 



