144 CLOSED CIRCUIT ABOUT THE BALLS. 



currents in similar directions about the nearest 

 sides of the balls of electroscopes brought near 

 these excited substances, as represented by B c, 

 in Fig. 55 ; precisely as an excited magnet in- 

 duces currents in similar directions about the 

 nearest sides of pieces of iron, and develops recip- 

 rocal attraction between them. On coming gently 

 in contact with the excited body A, an extended 

 closed circuit is instantaneously made about them 

 all, as delineated by the arrows in Fig. 56, and 



Fig. 56. 



conjoins them as one electrode. In this state they 

 will remain united, if the balls do not elastically 

 rebound from contact with A, and leave an inter- 

 vening space between them, as occurs when the 

 brass balls rebound from the vibrating sides of the 

 bells of an electrical chime. 



At the instant of the rebound the single closed 

 circuit is broken, and is resolved into three distinct 

 closed circuits,- whose currents move in opposite 

 directions about the adjacent sides of each of the 

 three balls, B c A, as indicated by the arrows in 



ig. 57; with a consequent repulsion between all 



