LIFE IN THE INFRA-WORLD 2$ 



know of them as a rule is confined to thunderstorms 

 and auroras. 



In the case of the electron, with its charge of 

 3-4 x 10~ 10 units and its radius of about 10~ 13 cm., 

 the potential is only a million volts. But the surface 

 density is much greater, being about 10 16 units per 

 square centimetre. Hence the electric field just 

 - e the surface is 10 1G times the field above the 

 surface of the earth. No cohesive force known to 

 us could withstand that strain. But then it must 

 be remembered that the density of an electron is 

 10 11 times the density of the earth. Therefore 

 cohesive force is 10 22 times stronger than on earth, 

 and this is amply able to protect the electron from 

 disintegration by its own electric forces. 



These considerations have the effect of making 

 the electron more and more familiar. Wo have 

 indeed here, for the first time, a rational view of an 

 electron, based upon conceptions familiar in our own 

 world, and introducing no new and unknown forces. 

 The forces are much greater than ours, but then we 

 have already for some time been acquainted with 

 the greatness of molecular forces, and tluso mole- 

 cular forces are the forces at play in what we call 

 the infra-world. \Vo only apply common sense and 

 elementary science to these minute \ Articles, whose 

 existence is revealed to us by all the phenomena of 

 physics and chemistry. 



So far, then, we are on solid ground. The olec- 



