ELECTROLYTIC INDUCTION — AND CONDUCTION. 273 



prevented by giving them the solid state, then they will insulate electricity perhaps a 

 hundredfold more intense than that necessary for their electrolyzation (419, &c.). 

 Hence the tension necessary for direct conduction in such bodies appears to be much 

 higher than that for decomposition (419. 1164. 1344.). 



1705. The remarkable stoppage of electrolytic conduction by solidification (380. 

 1358.), is quite consistent with these views of the dependence of that process on the 

 polarity which is common to all insulating matter when under induction, though at- 

 tended by such peculiar electro-chemical results in the case of electrolytes. Thus it 

 may be expected that the first effect of induction is so to polarize and arrange the 

 particles of water that the positive or hydrogen pole of each shall be from the positive 

 electrode and towards the negative electrode, whilst the negative or oxygen pole of 

 each shall be in the contrary direction ; and thus when the oxygen and hydrogen of 

 a particle of water have separated, passing to and combining with other hydrogen 

 and oxygen particles, unless these new particles of water could turn round they could 

 not take up that position necessary for their successful electrolytic polarization. Now 

 solidification, by fixing the water particles and preventing them from assuming that 

 essential preliminary position, prevents also their electrolysis j and so the transfer of 

 forces in that manner being prevented (1347. 1703.), the substance acts as an ordinary 

 insulating dielectric (for it is evident by former experiments (419. 1704.) that the 

 insulating tension is higher than the electrolytic tension), induction through it rises 

 to a higher degree, and the polar condition of the molecules as wholes, though greatly 

 exalted, is still securely maintained. 



1706. When decomposition happens in a fluid electrolyte, I do not suppose that 

 all the molecules in the same sectional plane (1634.) part with and transfer their 

 electrified particles or elements at once. Probably the discharge force for that plane 

 is summed up on one or a few particles, which decomposing, travelling and recom- 

 bining, restore the balance of forces, much as in the case of spark disruptive dis- 

 charge (1406.) ; for as those molecules resulting from particles which have just 

 transferred power must by their position (1705.) be less favourably circumstanced 

 than others, so there must be some which are most favourably disposed, and these, by 

 giving way first, will for the time lower the tension and produce discharge. 



1707. In former investigations of the action of electricity (821, &c.) it was shown, 

 for many satisfactory cases, that the quantity of electric power transferred onwards 

 was in proportion to and was definite for a given quantity of matter moving as anion 

 or cathion onwards in the electrolytic line of action ; and there was strong reason to 

 believe that each of the particles of matter then dealt with, had associated with it a 

 definite amount of electrical force, constituting its force of chemical affinity, the che- 

 mical equivalents and the electro- chemical equivalents being the same (836.). It 

 was also found with few, and I may now perhaps say with no exceptions (1341.), that 

 only those compounds containing elements in single proportions could exhibit the 

 characters and phenomena of electrolytes (697.) ; oxides, chlorides, and other bodies 



MDCCCXXXVIII. 2 N 



