458 RIESS ON THE INCANDESCENCE OF 
Metals which melt before they become incandescent are also 
shivered in pieces by electricity before a red heat is attained. A 
tin wire 18 lines long was split into small pieces by the quantity 
of electricity 10 contained in 5 jars. The following experiment 
affords also an instance of this. 
Experiment 33.—A cadmium wire, 20 lines long, radius0*0394, 
broke with the quantity of electricity 12 from 5 jars, and was 
split into tolerably straight pieces by the quantity 15, which 
showed no signs of fusion. 
The Fusion. 
By constant discharges increasing in power, the wires are 
split into smaller and smaller fragments, which melt at the ends 
and on their surfaces, and at last fuse into globules. The wires 
are always torn away close to their fastenings and the fragments 
propelled to a distance. It is not difficult to determine the first 
stage of fusion, and to show with the same wire the fusion and 
splitting to pieces at the same time. All the following experi- 
ments were made under the bell-glass, and the scattered pieces 
of wire collected on a sheet of paper placed under it. 
Experiment 34.—A platina wire of 0°0264 radius and 19 lines 
in length, was made incandescent by the application of the 
number of jars s=5 and the quantity of electricity g=11; the 
quantity of electricity 20 split and melted it. Many of the 
fragments, about half a line in length, had small globules on their 
ends, and besides these there were some single globules and 
unmelted splinters of wire. 
Experiment 35.—A silver wire (radius 0°0264, length 15 lines) 
was split and melted when s = 6 and g = 26. Besides single 
globules, bent fragments were collected with splinters melted 
upon them. 
Experiment 36.—A tin wire (radius 0"037, length 20 lines) 
was torn from its fastenings by a discharge in which s = 6 and 
g = 8; another wire was split into pieces by the quantity of 
electricity 15, and left evidently melted pieces behind in the 
clamps. 
When a larger quantity of electricity was employed (24) melted 
globules dropped from the wire, which sprung about red-hot in 
the usual manner whilst oxidizing. 
Complete fusion of the wires was obtained in the following 
experiments. 
