OHM ON THE GALVANIC CIRCUIT. 493 



the same proportion. But when two constituents combine, by 

 both reciprocally penetrating one another, each extends beyond 

 the entire space of the compound, on which account the inten- 

 sity of the force proper to each constituent decreases by com- 

 bination, in the same proportion as the space of the compound 

 is greater than the space which each constituent occupied before 

 the combination. Consequently if z denote the relation of the 

 space which the constituent A, in the disc M, occupied pre- 

 vious to combination to that space which the compound in the 

 disc M occupies ; and also, since we admit that both consti- 

 tuents, before and after the combination, occupy the same ex- 

 tent of space, \~z will denote the same relation relatively to 

 the constituent B ; then, since m and n designate the electro- 

 scopic forces of the constituents A and B previous to combina- 

 tion, m z and n (1 — z) will represent the latent electroscopic 

 forces of the constituents A and B, which correspond to each 

 chemical equivalent of the disc M ; and, at the same time, it 

 follows from the above, that the variable values z and \—z can- 

 not exceed the limits and 1. 



In order to ascertain the portion of the free electricity u per- 

 taining, to each constituent, we will assume that it is distributed 

 over the single constituents in proportion to their masses. li^ 

 therefore, we represent respectively by « and /3 the masses of 

 the constituents A and B, on the supposition that one alone, to 

 the exclusion of the other, occupies the entire disc, then « z and 

 /3 (1 — r) will represent the masses of the constituents A and B 

 united in the disc M ; consequently the portions 



■=^^^ „„H ^^ (1--) 



aZ+^[\-z)' ^"^^ U.Z-V^{\-Z) 



of the free electricity u appertain to the constituents A and B ; 

 instead of which, for the sake of conciseness, we will write 



«Uz, and/3U (1-;:). 

 If we now take into consideration what was stated in § 30, 

 respecting the motive force of the galvanic circuit, it is imme- 

 diately evident that the tendency of the constituent A to move 

 along the circuit, is expressed by 



2 i (m + « U) r S, 

 or that of the constituent B by 



L'i (-« + /3U) (] -;r) S. 



