1825.J Mathematkal Prinripfes of C/ieNiicfi/ P/ii/oscp/n/. 1 lo 



tin, iron, copper, silver, lead, gold, which appears the precise 

 order of inflammability, except with regard to lead, which sh6uld 

 "precede silver. 



The attraction for oxygen follows the same order ; carbon 

 decomposes the phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and all the 

 metallic oxides ; zinc precipitates all the metals below it in a 

 metallic state ; tin and iron precipitate copper and the metals 

 below it; copper precipitates silver and gold. Also the adher- 

 ence of oxygen to the bases is the same ; heat alone decomposes 

 the oxides of gold and silver ; but the oxygen is generally sepa- 

 rated with greater difficulty, as the metal is more remote from 

 gold in the table. 



Also those bodies which are capable of combining chemically 

 are attracted to the opposite poles of the galvanic battery; this 

 is supposed to arise from an electric energy belonging to every 

 particle of matter, and combination is explained upon the princi- 

 ples of electrical attraction and repulsion (whether such electi'ical 

 energies exist cannot, perhaps, be proved at present ; however, 

 the term, electric energy, may be used with propriety, until one 

 can be devised which is free from hypothetical views ; at present 

 by electric energy, I mean simply to denote the fact, that the 

 particles of bodies have determinate tendencies to the poles of 

 the galvanic series, which differ in intensity in the bodies which 

 tend to the same pole). Oxygen always tends to the positive 

 pole, and appears to have the highest negative energy of all 

 known bodies. If then we refer the inflammable bodies to 

 oxygen, the most highly inflammable will differ most in their 

 electric energy from it ; i. e. the most inflammable bodies have 

 the highest positive energy, or are most vigorously attracted by 

 the negative pole. It appears from the table, that those bodies 

 which have the smallest force of gravitation {F} are most 

 remote from oxygen in their electric state, or are the most highly 

 positive: the order will be as follows, each substance being more 

 highly positive than those which follow it ; 1. Carbon ; 2. Phos- 

 phorus ; 3. Sulphur; 4. Zinc; 5. Tin; 6. Iron; 7. Copper; 

 8. Silver; 9. Lead; 10. Gold. In this hst, the errors are not 

 greater than might be expected ; for we cannot assume any 

 table of atomic numbers to be critically correct ; besides, for 

 want of better data, the particles of all solids must be supposed 

 to be similarly situated ; but I have demonstrated in a former 

 paper, that the order of arrangement, whilst the particles remain 

 in contact, may produce a change of one-fourth of the entire 

 volume, therefore one-fourth of the specific gravity ; however, 

 since all the metals are fusible, the variation cannot amount to 

 nearly this quantity in any case. The results, however, are 

 sufficiently exact to show, that the most inflammable or most 

 highly positive substances, have the least tendency to the earth. 

 Or if the second supposition be made, the same results nearly; 



New Series, vut. ix. i 



