60 STATIC ELECTRICITV 



suited for its purpose those which will help it to stretch from plate 

 to plate. Let a ft y be three such molecules. The line of st rain PQ 

 coming against these will neutralise one of the lines of strain of 

 each in the way followed out in the illustration last considered, and 

 we shall get the arrangement of Fig. 53 changing to that of 

 Fig. 54, where now one line of strain goes across the spaces between 



Fio. 63. 



the molecules in the row forming <11 link^ in flu- 



chain. The strain between the two i>arts of each BolecOk i 



only lessened, but the + of each is alto mm connected OJ 



- of the next, and so they will tend to move apart. 



thus separation of the CODftltlWntl of the im.WuIr*, tin- MgllH 



uingof chemical dim-iution, and this iK-ginning constitute tin- 



electric strain in tlu> medium on the h Jpothedf COMidmd. If a 



second tube moves into the >anu- i-liain of moliriilcii it will leave 

 three tubes between each portion, and then* *ill now be two 

 outside, and the separation i> still greater. If a third tube move* 

 in there will be only two tubes between each portion of the original 

 molecules, and three tulu > ronmrting eacn with the opposite 

 portion of the next, and still greater separation. If five tubes 

 move in, then, there will be a total neutralisation of the strain 

 between the parts of the original molecules, and each will be con- 

 nected with the opposite of the adjacent molecule. There will 

 be re-pairing all along the line and no continuity of M; 

 The electrification will, in fact, have been destroyed. We may 

 imagine that something of this kind occurs when a spark discharge 

 begins. 



