Nipher—Gravitational Repulsion. 191 
of the masses. Small planets having high and perhaps 
varying potentials might not follow Newton’s law. The 
value of » would be large and variable. 
In the work represented in Plate XLVI, if we assume 
that when » was 100, the attraction between the masses 
being reduced to zero, the potential of the large masses 
was 30,000 volts, or 100 E. S. C. G. S. units, and that of 
the suspended masses was 10 volts or 1/30 E. 8. C. G. S. 
unit, then the last equation would give for K’: 
K’ = 165800 K 
This result is based upon assumptions and estimates. 
One inference may be drawn from it. There is nothing 
here to indicate that the force whose action is repre- 
sented by Newton’s term, should not be the main factor 
in determining the motion of the masses in our planetary 
system. 
The large masses represented in Fig. 3 were replaced 
by boxes of metal, filled with loose cotton batting. They 
rested upon insulators. They were separated from the 
Screen by sheets of glass, and were put in metallic con- 
tact with it by means of copper wires. Precisely the same 
treatment was applied to this system as was given when 
the large masses were in place. No change in the posi- 
tion of the suspended masses could be detected. 
The large masses being in position as before described, 
spring contact brushes were fastened to the blocks of 
wood upon which the large masses rested. They made 
contact with the large masses at points midway between 
the top and bottom of the spheres. A direct current of 
20 amperes was sent through the two large masses. The 
axis of the line of flow was in one case practically coin- 
cident with the line through the centers of gravity of the 
two masses nearest to each other. The direction of flow 
was either from the outside contact, to the one nearest 
the screen, or the reverse, the direction of flow being re- 
Yersible by means of a double switch. The screen was 
Insulated from the two large spheres. No effect upon 
