ELE 



300 



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electrified positively or negatively, a quan- 

 tity of electricity will force itself through 

 the air from the latter to the former, ap- 

 pearing in the form of an intense spark, 

 called the electric spark. 



ELECTRIC TENSION or INTENSITY, that 

 state of a body which is measured by an 

 electrometer. 



ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY, a depaitment of 

 science which treats of the agency of 

 electricity and galvanism in effecting che- 

 mical changes. 



ELECTRO-DYNAMICS, the phenomena of 

 electricity in motion. 



ELEC'TRODE, from ^XtxT^av, electricity, 

 and odof, away; the point at which an 

 electric current enters or quits the body 

 through which it passes. The name is 

 chiefly used in speaking of the plates of 

 a galvanic battery, by which the current 

 passes into and out of the liquid, and as 

 being the doors by which the current 

 enters and departs. These are further 

 distinguished as the zincode and platinode. 



ELEC'TRO-MAG'NETISM, a branch of elec- 

 trical science showing the joint effects of 

 electricity, or galvanism, and magnetism ; 

 magnetism produced by electricity. 



ELECTROL'TSIS, ) from %texT%ot, elec- 



ELECTROLY'TE, ) tricity, and *.uu t to 

 loosen. The process of resolving a com- 

 pound body into its elements by the vol- 

 taic current, has been named electroly- 

 sis, and substances which can be so 

 decomposed, are called electrolytes. 



ELECTROM'ETER, the electricity-measurer ; 

 an instrument for mea- 

 suring the quantity or 

 intensity of electricity, 

 or the degree in which a 

 body is electrified. The 

 most common is the 

 quadrant electrometer, 

 shown 'in the figure. 

 The index, composed of 

 a straw terminated by 

 a pith ball, moves from 

 its centre of suspension 

 as the charge increases, 

 and measures the in- 

 tensity upon the gradu- 

 ated semicircle. 



ELECTROPH'ORCS, from 

 t>.izr%ov, and Qigu, to 

 bear; an electric ma- 

 chine, consisting of two plates, one of 

 which is a resinous electric, and the other 

 a metallic plate. A second polished metal 

 phite, of rather smaller diameter, is fitted 

 with a glass handle, by which it can be 

 lifted on or off tho upper surface of the plate 

 of resin. "When the resin has been excited 

 by gentle friction with dry fur or flannel, 

 and the plate placed upon it by its 

 handle, and immediately removed, it 

 will be found feebly charged with resin 



ous electricity. If it be then replaced and 

 uninsulated by a metallic rod, and again. 

 lifted by its insulating handle, it will 

 be found to 

 give a strong 

 spark of vi- 

 treous elec- 

 tricity. The 

 process may 

 be repeated 

 an unlimited 

 number of 

 times with- 



out additional excitation 

 ELECT RO-PO'LAB, applied to conductors, 

 ne end of which is positive and the other 

 negative. 



ELEC'TROSCOPE, from iXixr^ov, electron, 

 and irxomii, to view ; an instrument for 

 exhibiting the attractive 

 and repulsive agency of 

 electricity. This term is 

 generally used synonym- 

 ously with electrometer, but 

 sometimes applied appro- 

 priately to Bennet's gold- 

 leaf electrometer, shown in 

 the figure with gold leaves 

 apart. Coulomb's torsion- 

 electrometer is an excellent electroscope. 

 ELE'OANCE (Fr. and Eng.), from ele- 

 gantia: " The beauty of propriety, not of 

 greatness." Johnson. In literature, the 

 elegance of a composition consists in well- 

 chosen words and phrases arranged in an 

 appropriate and happy manner. This 

 implies neatness, purity, and perspicuous 

 arrangement of parts a style calculated 

 to please rather than excite admiration 

 or strong feeling. It is now much out of 

 fashion. Elegance of speaking includes 

 propriety of diction and gracefulness of 

 action. In architecture and jxiinting, ele- 

 gance consists in a nice distribution of the 

 parts with a just regard to their propor- 

 tions and appropriate embellishments. 

 Similarly, the term may be applied in a 

 loose way to many works both of nature 

 and art, which please by their symmetry. 

 ELE'GIT. In law, a writ of execution 

 by which a defendant's goods are ap- 

 praised and delivered to the plaintiff. 

 upon a recognizance that he is able in 

 his goods to satisfy his creditors. 



EL'EMENT.Lat. elementum,a simple sub- 

 stance, or one which has not been decom- 

 posed. The ancients considered fire, air, 

 earth, and water, to be of this nature : 

 hence they are still called the four ele- 

 ments. Three of these elements, air, earth, 

 and water, are however now well known 

 to be compound bodies ; but instead of the 

 four classical elements, chemistry at pre- 

 sent recognises 54, of which 41 are me- 

 tallic. These are termed elementary bodies. 

 ELEMEN'TARY. In chemistry, is synony- 

 mous with undecompoundtd. 



