Mr. R. Phillips on Frictional Electricity. 37 



If a volume of any other gas, as chlorine, be made to combine 

 with the hydrogen, the action, it would seem, can be consistently 

 imagined in the following way. Each particle of either gas 

 previously to combination has on it both positive and negative 



electricity ; this may be sufficiently symbolized by writing -\ 



for either particle, where the dot signifies the atomic centre to 

 which the two signs belong. On bringing a particle of hydrogen 

 near to a particle of chlorine, the electricity may stand thus, 



before combination, and _ _ in hydrochloric acid. 



There is in this process a transfer, but no generation of electricity. 



appear; and consequently we have here a system of polarization which 

 produces no external effect. This experiment can be conveniently made 

 with the ordinary condenser, the only alteration required being to insulate 

 the moveable plate. The common Leyden jar affords another example of 

 this species of electric distribution, which I suppose to exist in the mo- 

 lecules. 



My intention in this paper was not to state any new opinions as to the 

 nature of electricity, but to take the old and generally serviceable electro- 

 chemical theory, and, after making a few necessary repairs, to apply it to 

 frictional electricity ; so that, when this electro-chemical theory receives its 

 true physical interpretation, frictional electricity may be simidtaneously 

 explained. Perhaps, however, I had better briefly state my present views, 

 so far as I think it worth while, and so prevent it from being supposed 

 that I regard the symbols as fully representing the condition of the par- 

 ticles. In the first place, then, I regard it as very probable that the par- 

 ticles have no electric poles, as 1 think poles are usually understood, but 

 that the two electricities are distributed in the form of concentric layers. 

 Also, as I can neither regard electricity as consisting of two fluids, nor 

 acquiesce in Franklin's hypothesis, I can only look upon positive electricity 

 as consisting of motion, similar in other respects, but opposite in direction, 

 to negative electricity. From this I conclude, that Davy's electric atmo- 

 spheres really consist of two or more spherical orbs revolving in some manner 

 in opposite directions — the neutrality of the particle being a consequence of 

 the vis viva of one direction being equal to the vis viva of the opposite 

 direction. When two particles run together and form one, as in chemical 



action, which I have represented by the symbol _ _ I suppose that the 



plus spherical orbs combine to form one spherical orb or set of orbs, and 

 that the minus orbs also combine ; the electro-motive force generated at 

 the instant of combination being due to the vis viva of the combined electric 

 atmospheres of the particles, being less than before combination. A good 

 illustration of this change of vis viva seems to be afforded in the mingling 

 of streams of air, having similar directions but unequal velocities. With 

 respect to cohesion, where the particles must be side by side, the orbits of 

 the electric forces cannot be spherically disposed ; and, fixing attention on 

 any interior particle, it would seem that the plus electricity of this particle 

 must combine with the plus electricity of a particle on one side, and the 

 minus electricity with the minus electricity of another particle on the other 

 side.— Dec. 10, 1851. 



[The electrified plates appear to us to illustrate the present electro- 

 chemical theory rather than Mr. Phillips's modification of it. The plates 

 are unipolar, whereas his electrified particles are bipolar. — Ed.] 



