184 



EXPERIMENTS ON MAGNETISIVT, 



. X 



Experiments on Magnetifin ; hy Mr. Ritter, of Jena. Com- 

 viunicated by Dr. Ousted, of Copenhagen *. 



The phenomena 1 HE phenomena of magnetifm have frequently been com- 



and^dearici'ty pared with thofe of eleclricity, and many fa6ts feem to juftify 



have ofcen b^en the comparifon. Thefe facts, however, are neithernuraerous 



we"want hcu. ^'"'o^g'^* "or fufficiently conclufive, to compofe a complete 



theory. A feries of experiments, exhibiting the magnetic 



needle in all its relations to eledricity, at prefent better known 



by means of the pile, would undoubtedly throw much light on 



Hitter has infti- a fubject heretofore fo obfcure. Ritter felt the importance of 



tutednewinqui- j-^jj,|-j ^j^ undertaking, and began frefli inquiries concerning 



Ties on the fub- • , , V ,*' , r • , i 



jea. magnetiim, with the lame ardour and lagacity that have ever 



His experiments diflingaiftied his labours. Though thefe experiments did not 



did not always ^\^,^^ anfwer the full extent of his defigns, they notwithftand- 



anfvver, but ex- _ -^ b ' J 



hibitedmanyin- ing exhibit a fufficient number of inlerefting facts to excite the 

 teiefting fads, curiofily of every natural pliilofopher. 

 A magnstic Mr. Ritter's firft experiments with the magnet were on 



wue, and an- ffQgrs. He found that a magnetic iron wire, with another not 



ether not mag- . . . 



netic, excited magnetic, excited a galvanic palpitation in thefe animals. Pre- 



^'alvanic palpita- fently he obferved, that the fouth pole excited ft ronger palpita- 

 tions in fr.>gs J.-' "^ . . 

 the fouth pole tions, and the north pole weaker, than the iron not magnetic. 



more ftrongly, Having conftantly noticed, that the metals moft fufceptible of 

 the north lefs, -i- ••in n t • • i ■ r < , 



than iron not o>cidation excited the Itrongelt palpitations, he interred, that 



magnetic. the fouth pole pofletTes a greater affinity for oxigen than fimple 



H<;nce he infer-- j .1 ,i t i r 



xtd, that the ""0". and the nort.-i pole lefs. 



fouth pole has a This fuppofition he confirmed by means of feveral chemical 



greater affinity ^e-agents. He placed a ma^jnetic iron wire on pieces of glafs 

 for oxigeiJ J the . " ' '^ . '^ " . 



north, lefs. in a plate of earthen ware, and poured upon it very weak nitric 

 This confiimed ^q\^^ 'pije fouth pole was attacked by the acid much more 

 Magnetic iron powerfully than the north; and was foon furrounded by a de- 

 ■wires being pofition of oxigen, the quantity of which greatly exceeded that 



placed in wealc \. , , 6 ' H J b J 



nit.ic acid, Che P^ the Other pole. 



fouth pule was The di!ferent oxidability of the magnetic poles is very well 



Thefou'th D.le ^^^^ibited likewife, by taking tliree fmall bottles of equal fize, 



of a magneVic tilled with water, either pure or (lightly acidulated, and putting 



wir-; being im- 



?ila! oVwaUr'', * J^"f"al de Phyfique, December, 1S03, Vol. LVII. p. 406. 



into 



