376 ON THE SPECIFIC RESISTANCE OF MERCURY. 



The results of the Table are represented graphically in fig. 3, in which the abscissse 

 represent temperature and the ordinates resistance, the temperature being that 

 indicated by the thermometers in the cups. The tube was of course packed in the ice 

 during these observations. It would appear from the curve that our own observations 

 may be slightly too high, possibly as much as '00004, through the temperature in the 

 cups being on the average 1'4 0. instead of 0, while at 6 an error of about '00024 

 might be introduced. This error is equivalent to that caused by the whole tube being 

 at 0'3 instead of at 0, or by about 5 per cent, of the tube being at the temperature 

 of the mercury in the terminals. In tube VI. some 6 or 7 per cent, of the tube was 

 within the corks used to close the terminals. It may be noticed that the observations 

 on tube VI. given in the last line of Table XI. were made with Lord RAYLEIGH'S 

 terminals. We thus infer that, while the fact that in Lord RAYLEIGH'S experiments 

 the terminals were at 5 or 6 may explain a small part of the difference between our 

 results, reducing his by about '00024, it cannot possibly account for the whole, 

 amounting as it does to '00060, and we must look in some other direction for the 

 explanation. 



