122 DR. FARADAY'S EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES IN ELECTRICITY. 



investigation. But whatever the results on these and numerous other points may 

 be, I do not believe that the facts which I have advanced, or even the general laws 

 deduced from them, will suffer any serious change ; and they are of sufficient impor- 

 tance to justify their publication, even though much may remain imperfect or undone. 

 Indeed, it is the great beauty of our science, chemistry, that advancement in it, 

 whether in a degree great or small, instead of exhausting the subjects of research, 

 opens the doors to further and more abundant knowledge, overflowing with beauty 

 and utility to those who will be at the easy personal pains of undertaking its experi- 

 mental investigation. 



872. The definite production of electricity (868.) in association with its definite 

 action proves, I think, that the current of electricity in the voltaic pile is sustained 

 by chemical decomposition, or rather by chemical action, and not by contact only. 

 But here, as elsewhere (857.), I beg to reserve my opinion as to the real action of 

 contact, not having yet been able to make up my mind as to its being either an ex- 

 citing cause of the current, or merely necessary to allow of the conduction of electri- 

 city, otherwise generated, from one metal to the other. 



873. But admitting that chemical action is the source of electricity, what an infi- 

 nitely small fraction of that which is active do we obtain and employ in our voltaic 

 batteries ! Zinc and platina wires, one eighteenth of an inch in diameter and about 

 half an inch long, dipped into dilute sulphuric acid, so weak that it is not sensibly 

 sour to the tongue, or scarcely to our most delicate test papers, will evolve more elec- 

 tricity in one twentieth of a minute (860.) than any man would willingly allow to pass 

 through his body at once. The chemical action of a grain of water upon four grains 

 of zinc can evolve electricity equal in quantity to that of a powerful thunder-storm 

 (868. 861.). Nor is it merely true that the quantity is active ; it can be directed and 

 made to perform its full equivalent duty (867. &c.). Is there not, then, great reason 

 to hope and believe that, by a closer experimental investigation of the principles which 

 govern the development and action of this subtile agent, we shall be able to increase 

 the power of our batteries, or invent new instruments which shall a thousandfold 

 surpass in energy those which we at present possess ? 



874. Here for a while I must leave the consideration of the definite chemical action 

 of electricity. But before I dismiss this series of experimental Researches, I would call 

 to mind that, in a former series, I showed the current of electricity was also definite 

 in its magnetic action (366. 367. 376. 3770 ; and, though this result was not pursued 

 to any extent, I have no doubt that the success which has attended the development 

 of the chemical effects is not more than would accompany an investigation of the 

 magnetic phenomena. 



Royal Institution^ 

 December ^\st, 1833. 



